a 164-page celebration of the greatest gore on film & tv

Alien
Celebrating the
world’s scariest caution!
Don’t open

horror saga before

midnight!

• Exclusive new interviews!

• Every Alien film revisited!

The
tw il ig h t zone Tows
From the g Dead... The sho
Walkin t terrified Us
Tha

PLUS!

exclusive! exclusive! preview!

the Green Inferno
Director Eli Roth
The Walking Dead The Strain
interviewed Arming the Zombie
Hunters Guillermo del Toro’s new TV show

PLUS Supernatural • The Shining • Hannibal • London Horror Comic • Frightfest • The Thing • Poltergeist
The Company Of Wolves • Hellraiser • Christopher Lee • Tremors • The Blair Witch Project • And Loads More
 ContENTS
W
elcome to SFX’s latest foray into
the fantastic world of horror!
Over the next 164 pages we’re
bringing you the ultimate
coverage of your favourite
genre in all its icky shapes and
sizes. We’ve dipped into the SFX vaults for
classic features of yesteryear, and there’s
also oodles of brand new content, including
capsule reviews of every Christopher Lee
horror movie, a look forward to FrightFest,
and a rundown of the 40 most memorable
TV shows that have dabbled in the grim and
gruesome. There’s also your definite guide
to the long-running Alien franchise. So jump
in and join us! The water’s lovely. Except for
those floating corpses…

20
56

136 158
06 Top 40 tv horror
Your countdown of the greatest
small-screen shockers.
44 PROMETHEUS
Was the 2012 movie as
disappointing as some say?
52
132 THE STRAIN
18 Alien
Analysing Ridley Scott’s original
52 ALIEN: ISOLATION
We take a look at 2014’s most
What Guillermo del Torro’s new
TV show has in store.

sci-fi scarefest. terrifying videogame.

136 Christopher lee

20 Aliens 56 Supernatural Gore A rundown of every single fright

How James Cameron reinvented

the franchise.
The yuckiest scenes from the
brotherly horror show.
film the venerable master of
horror has appeared in! 132
26 Alien 3 62 Hannibal 148 London
The story of one of the
grimmest of all sequels.
We compare the four men to
play the fearsome flesh-eater.
horror comic
Exclusive! A fabulous extract
from the anthology comic.

30 Alien: Resurrection 124 FRIGHTFEST

Sigourney Weaver’s swansong Previewing Britain’s premier 158 the walking dead
as tough-as-boots Ripley. horror film festival. Chatting with the man who
arms the zombie killers.

36 alien vs predator 128 ELI ROTH

A special effects whizz on the The Hostel director on his new 162 HORROR bingo
franchise mash-up sequels. picture, The Green Inferno. Eyes down, horror hounds!

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classic sfx horror features

66 village of the damned 86 evil dead 2 106 Scanners
The chilling 1960 British film. It’s the madcap sequel. It’ll make your head explode.
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70 Phantasm 90 poltergeist 110 piranha II Group financial controller Matthew Burton

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82 the evil dead 102 the shining 122 the birds

Sam Raimi’s video nasty. Kubrick’s flick dissected. Hitchcock goes horror.
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The TV TERROR TOP 40

terror
top 40The scariest, spookiest, goriest and most influential
horror shows that television has ever produced

U
ntil recently, TV horror was rarely able sure that shows like True Blood are more than
to be as visceral and bloody as its big- mere bloodbaths. Well, most of the time...
screen cousins. Those restrictions were Here we list SFX’s top TV terrors, with as much
disappointing for gorehounds, but in respect given to a show’s influence and inroads
many ways they forced the shows to be into the zeitgeist as the gore quotient. Though an
more psychologically terrifying. Mood, ability to simply make you jump or go “Eurgh!”
atmosphere and tension – those things horror still has a role to play.
movie directors always talk about before dropping Your reviewers are: Rob Power (RP); Jayne
a bucket of pig intestines on their stars’ heads – Nelson (JN): Jordan Farley (JF); Russell Lewin
became the language of TV terror. And now that (RL); Will Salmon (WS); Alasdair Stuart (AS);
TV can flay people alive and play billiards with Stephen Kelly (SK); Joseph McCabe (JM); Dave
testicles, those decades of restraint are making Golder (DG); Calum Waddell (CW)

6 SFX presents Horror

 the TV TERROR TOP 40

That’s your
mum, that is.

40 Tales From The Darkside (US)

years: 1983–1988 Episodes: 90
“Man lives in the sunlit world of what he believes to be reality. But there is,
38 Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace (UK)
year: 2004 Episodes: 6
The title was funny. The way it was deliberately atrociously shot and edited
unseen by most, an underworld, a place that is just as real, but not as brightly was funny. Even the names of the characters were funny (Dean Learner,
lit... a darkside.” Dr Lucien Sanchez, Dr Rick Dagless MD, Madeleine Wool – brilliant!). The
Not the opening narration of a film about 1970s BBC TV personalities, but actors were all great. So while Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace wasn’t scary, it was
George Romero’s horror anthology series, a sort-of follow-up to his 1982 movie highly amusing – a perfectly made comedy riffing on horror tropes.
Creepshow. Over four seasons, Darkside served up often humorous, sometimes A dig at both bad 1980s television shows and hack supernatural fiction, the
hammy tales, all shot in delightful* ’80s videoesque style – and included the show had self-important author Marenghi (Matthew Holness) introduce what
writings of Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, Clive Barker and Robert Bloch. was purported to be the show he’d written, produced, directed and starred
Low on budget and high on synthesised music it may have been, but Darkside in 20 years previously. The show took place in a hospital in Romford, Essex,
did spur the late ’80s TV anthology revival, and led to a decent 1990 big-screen which was regularly threatened by supernatural entities (zombies, apes,
movie. The show is patchy – some episodes are dire – but it was often great fun extraterrestrial vegetables...) due to being situated over the gates of hell.
and an easily-digestable 22 minutes of viewing. And there are no 1970s BBC TV There was talk of a Darkplace movie. It never happened, although there was a
personalities in it. spin-off, Man To Man With Dean Learner in 2006, which sadly wasn’t the same
kind of thing at all.
Standout scary moment: The pilot, “Trick Or Treat”, set a good
precedent, when miserable old Gideon Hackles (Barnard Hughes) gets his Standout scary moment: Nothing really scary of course, but moments
comeuppance in the episode finale. RL like a doctor being chased by a possessed stapler and a woman turning into
*may not be delightful broccoli stay in the mind. RL

We learn more of Freddy’s

history in the TV show.

39 Grimm (US)
years: 2011–present Episodes: 66
37 Freddy’s Nightmares (US)
years: 1988–1990 Episodes: 44
Unlike the concurrent Friday The 13th: The Series (which had nothing to do
with Camp Crystal Lake or Jason), Freddy’s Nightmares was a revelation for
Grimm is a weird old mix. And we’re not talking the basic premise which is fans of the Elm Street franchise. Star Robert Englund – as the gloved maniac
“buddy cop show meets Nightbreed”. More the fact that at times it can be very himself – hosted each episode and, in some cases, starred in the actual stories.
grisly and, well, grim (the show’s main hero becomes a zombie at one point), The superlative pilot episode “No More Mr Nice Guy” actually acted as a
but at the same time it has monsters that look like they were designed for a prequel to Wes Craven’s own 1984 film – and was directed by Texas Chain
1970s Hannah-Barbera cartoon. The basic premise has cop Nick Burkhardt Saw Massacre man Tobe Hooper – while “Sister’s Keeper” finds a pair of
discovering that he is a Grimm, with the power to see monsters living among twins attempting to curb Freddy’s deadly dreamscapes. Die-hard horror-
us in disguise, and the weapons to dispatch them. But he’s just as likely to make hounds will also note the familiar slasher directors who made their mark on
friends with them if they don’t try to kill him first. And in amongst the merry- this terrestrial terror totem. Tom DeSimone, who helmed the Linda Blair slice
go-round of silly-monster-that-looks-like-a-squirrel, silly-monster-that-looks- and dicer Hell Night (1981), was roped in for numerous instalments whilst
like-a-chinchilla and silly-monster-that-looks-like-a-procupine, we get some Halloween 4’s Dwight Little took on season one highlight “Do Dreams Bleed”
really quite scary moments. – in which a rival serial slayer enters Freddy’s Springwood domain.

Standout scary moment: The exploding stomachs in “A Dish Best Standout scary moment: The gruelling dental nightmare of the pilot
Served Cold”. DG episode is far ickier than anything in the recent Elm Street remake. CW

SFX presents Horror 7

The TV TERROR TOP 40
Island of terror! The
creature strikes.

36 THE NIGHTMARE MAN (UK)

year: 1981 Episodes: 4
“The Whatnow Who?” you might ask of this 1980s obscurity. But The 34 From Dusk till Dawn: The Series (US)
year: 2014 Episodes: 10
Nightmare Man is fondly remembered by those who caught it on transmission
or took a chance on the DVD a few years back. 2014 is a good time to be a horror fan. Everyone from Hannibal to Norman
Set on a fog-bound Scottish island beset by a string of grizzly murders, it Bates is enjoying a new lease of life in intelligent and provocative prime time
has an uneasy atmosphere from the start. We know that something is afoot, stints. Moreover, movies that were considered to have “underperformed”
but it’s only towards the end of the second episode that it becomes clear we’re back in the day – such as 1996’s From Dusk Till Dawn – are being given
in science fiction and horror territory. a second chance to splatter the screen blood red. Developed by Robert
Former Doctor Who script editor Robert Holmes adapted the serial from Rodriguez himself, who calls the shots on four of the episodes, From Dusk
David Wiltshire’s novel, Child Of Vodyanoi. It shows – this often feels like a Till Dawn takes some time to get tasty. The pilot re-introduces us to the
more adult Who story. There’s a monster, a mysterious stranger and it is, for Gecko Brothers (now played by DJ Cotrona and Zane Hotlz) and plays out
all intents and purposes, a base-under-siege tale. It’s not particularly scary as a bloody, bullet-ridden hostage thriller. However, things heat up when the
and it drags in places, but the brooding ambience and strong performances twosome, and their captives, flee to the Mexico border and the inevitable
from Michael Gaffikin and Celia Imrie make for an engaging watch. vampire mayhem takes precedence. Fans of Salma Hayek’s original snake
dance also have reason to celebrate – actress Eiza González does the serpent
Standout scary moment: A low key scene that’s creepy because of shuffle with an even more alluring mix of seduction and sinister intent…
what you don’t see. Over dinner in their hotel, Michael and Fiona discuss
the fact that the woman Mike has been perving on is absent that night. They Standout scary moment: Satanico (Eiza González) goes on a bloody,
slowly realise what that might mean... and her body is later found. WS bloody bar brawl after revealing herself as a vampire in “Pandemonium”. cw

They’re a good looking

bunch, aren’t they?

35 The Vampire Diaries (US)

years: 2009–present Episodes: 111
There’s nothing scarier on The Vampire Diaries than Damon’s eyes. Seriously,
33 The Originals (US)
years: 2013–present Episodes: 23
This Vampire Diaries spin-off is set largely in New Orleans – a creepy and
look at them; they’ve practically got a life of their own. We can only imagine characterful city – and stars its parent show’s breakout characters – the
the demonic forces that must be pulling the strings behind those eyebrows. Originals. This is a Good Thing for horror enthusiasts because the Originals,
The rest may be more soap-opera teen romance than horror show, but The Klaus especially, have no qualms about killing, especially when it helps
Vampire Diaries can still do gore with the best of them. Characters are staked, them get their way. The show’s vampires can walk round in daylight and are
eviscerated and their necks broken with surprising regularity. Death is as big virtually unkillable, which means they lack all the traditional weaknesses that
a part of the show as snogging, and the cornucopia of supernatural creatures bloodsuckers suffer from. It’s a show largely about the power struggle between
(all of whom hate each other) means that a gruesome murder is never far the old guard and the new in New Orleans, kind of like The Godfather with
away. It does traditional scares well too, with a variety of creepy locations in vampires, witches and werewolves. It’s not the scariest show in the world, but
and around Mystic Falls serving as a perfect backdrop for the show’s more it does murder and mayhem with the best of them, and there’s usually a good
frightening moments, while the ghosts are effective at delivering shocks. bloodbath every six episodes or so. It’s also got some remarkably charismatic
and engaging characters, along with a plot that likes to race along.
Standout scary moment: In “The Turning Point” Elena hits a
mysterious hooded figure with her car, only for the crumpled corpse to Standout scary moment: Any time the creepy, white-suit-wearing ghost
reanimate with a series of grisly cracks. JF twins turn up. JF

8 SFX presents Horror

 the TV TERROR TOP 40

30 THE OUTER LIMITS (US)

Tame terrors in
Goosebumps.
yearS: 1963–1965 Episodes: 49

32 Goosebumps (CANada)
yearS: 1995–1998 Episodes: 74
“Viewer beware, you’re in for a scare” declared the Goosebumps TV show, but
A spiritual cousin to The Twilight Zone, this anthology series focused more on
science fiction than horror. Its most famous episodes are pure SF instalments
like “Soldier” and “Demon With A Glass Hand” – both by Harlan Ellison.
But those eerie opening titles – “There is nothing wrong with your television
watch it now and you’re more likely to laugh than cower behind a cushion in set... we are controlling transmission” – hint at an intent to spook the viewer.
fear. Even young ’uns will see through the dodgy production values, terrible “Nightmare” focusses on a group of space marines who are captured and
performances and absurd visual effects. But there’s still a nugget of primal tortured, physically and psychologically. “The Zanti Misfits” finds Earth facing
terror that survives the transition from the page to the screen, because author some creepy insectoid aliens. And some episodes – like “ZZZZZ”, which is
RL Stine has a mind built for scaring kids. Episodes like “Stay Out Of The about a bee that can take on human form, were just plain weird. The show was
Basement” (where two young girls discover a plant mutant has been posing as revived in the ’90s and featured more overt horror tropes (no doubt influenced
their father) and “Night Of The Living Dummy” (a classic talking dummy tale) by The X-Files’ wild success), but is less fondly regarded than the mad and
are unsettling to this day – no surprise the show ran into constant ratings and daring original run.
censorship issues in the UK. A perfect place to start for any young horror fan.
Standout scary moment: “Nightmare” is a staggeringly bleak and
Standout scary moment: “The Haunted Mask” – a young girl buys the unsettling look at the human condition for a mainstream ’60s sci-fi show.
creepiest Halloween mask you’ve ever seen, and can’t take it off… JF Trapped and tortured by aliens (or so it seems...), a group of soldiers fail to band
together, instead turning on each other. WS

Aeroplane food will

31 THE HUNGER (UK/Canada) do this to you.

years: 1997–2000 Episodes: 44

Despite sharing a name with Tony Scott’s 1983 vampire flick, this Hunger is
an anthology show. There are no concrete links to the movie, but it shares a
similar soft-core erotic tone and themes of desire and obsession.
29 Fringe (US)
years: 2008–2013 Episodes: 100
Rather like The X-Files, Fringe excelled itself in coming up with crazy,
It certainly wasn’t lacking in talent. Scott himself directed two episodes unexplained scenarios that pushed the limits of horror while also maintaining
and scripts were written by horror notables like Poppy Z Brite and Graham its police procedural format. However, unlike The X-Files, which remained
Masterton. Terence Stamp was the show’s “host”, but was replaced by David (mostly) tethered to real life, Fringe could afford to really let loose when it
Bowie (who starred in the movie) for the second season. wanted to, given that it became a show about parallel worlds interfering with
Unfortunately, it aired on network TV in an age that hadn’t yet embraced our own to cause all sorts of weird-ass crap.
outrageous boobs-and-blood cable shows like Game Of Thrones. Despite the Consequently, you have people falling to their deaths when the floors of
adult subject matter and some risqué scenes, it was restricted in just what it buildings suddenly disappear from under their feet. Others get stuck half in,
could show. If The Hunger was made again today, no doubt by HBO, it likely half out of walls during a bank robbery. Others die thanks to horrendous, gory
would have better lived up to its queasy, sleazy potential. diseases, viruses or parasites. The list goes on: if there’s an inventive, utterly
insane way for someone to die, they'll find it. Quite how the Fringe Division
Standout scary moment: This one is just a bit weird. In the episode didn’t spend half their working life barfing up their lunch, we don't know.
“Bridal Suite”, a newly-married couple book themselves into a hotel, only
to discover that their bed has been cursed. The upshot of this is that the Standout scary moment: In the episode “Ability”, a mysterious
woman’s adulterous husband is absorbed into the bed for all eternity. Well, chemical substance causes innocent victims’ orifices to seal up – leaving them
we suppose it’s plausible... WS mouthless, nostril-less and eye-less… JN

SFX presents Horror 9

The TV TERROR TOP 40
Martin Shaw took the
lead as Father Jacob.

28 Buffy The Vampire Slayer (US)

years: 1997–2003 Episodes: 144
For much of its run, Buffy was all about the comedy. Even in situations that
26 Apparitions (UK)
year: 2008 Episodes: 6
Father Jacob, a miracle investigator for the Catholic Church, finds himself
would frighten the willies out of most people, our sassy Buffy Summers would drawn into the war between Heaven and Hell. Apparitions only ran for one
crack wise and break the tension to such an extent that you forget there’s season but it made those episodes count. An unflinchingly nasty series, both
anything terrifying about fighting monsters. But occasionally – just occasionally physically and psychologically, it’s anchored by three immensely strong
– Buffy could genuinely scare us out of our wits. Xander losing his eye in “Dirty central performances. Shaw’s Catholic priest is a quietly troubled, good man
Girls”, for instance. The murder of Warren, flayed alive by our little, innocent who it’s easy to like. Siobhan Finneran is splendidly vinegary as his reluctant
Willow. And the death of Buffy’s mother Joyce, of course, in an episode that was sidekick and Rick Warden is astounding as the tormented pawn that Jacob is
terrifying simply because it was so awfully real and mundane. trying to save. Very much a forerunner to Being Human in how it combined
And then there’s “Hush”. Almost universally accepted as being the best the mundanity of normal life with horror, Apparitions pulled no punches
Buffy episode out there – it’s most definitely the cleverest – it uses the gimmick and the gore is often a little excessive. Get past that, though, and you have
of having the population of Sunnydale lose the ability to speak while they’re a surprisingly coherent and moving series. An honest look at Catholicism
hunted by a pack of besuited Gentlemen who don’t walk but glide. Nightmares in particular and faith in general, Apparitions is eccentric, difficult but
were most definitely had. absolutely worth your time.

Standout scary moment: The Gentlemen smiling so beatifically as they Standout scary moment: The demon uses some extraordinarily
tear out a poor guy’s heart – and he can't scream because they’ve stolen his vicious foul language; the F-word’s shock value may have diminished on TV
voice. JN these days, but in Apparitions it becomes a reenergised force for evil. AS

Black Mirror is named

after an Arcade Fire song.

27 Black Mirror (UK)

years: 2011–present Episodes: 6
It turns out that aside from his day job as the angriest man in the media,
25 IN THE FLESH (UK)
years: 2013–present Episodes: 9
Charlie Brooker also knows a thing or two about writing terrifying TV. Black BBC Three’s In The Flesh is a rare thing: a show about zombies in which
Mirror, two short series of unconnected episodes, smashed the Twilight Zone the zombies are not actually the scariest thing in it. Set a few years after an
into 2000 AD’s Future Shocks, fused it with Brooker’s grim view of modern life, undead apocalypse, it sees “partially deceased syndrome sufferer” Kieren
and created something quite, quite brilliant. Walker reintegrated back into the fictional small village of Roarton after
The first episode pondered what would happen if the Prime Minister was being medically treated for his desire to feast on the flesh of the living. Sure,
blackmailed into shagging a pig on live TV, and the premise of each subsequent there is the odd scene of conventional terror – series two’s opener of a zombie
instalment got progressively darker. Computer game prison dystopias and evil terrorist attack on a city tram, for example, is particularly traumatic – but
talent shows, paranoid visions of a world where everything you see can be the real terror is in the allegory: the uneasiness of Roarton’s prejudice and
recorded and played back, horrific prisoner-baiting theme parks – Brooker’s xenophobia, and how it mirrors not only the very real horror that people go
worlds are not places you’d ever want to visit. But what resonated the most was through every day, but in how it also forces you to examine your very own
a profound fear that we are all completely buggered, and it’s our own fault. A sense of morality. After all, would you really want a zombie for a neighbour? 
show that causes deep psychological distress, basically. Thanks for that, Charlie.
Standout scary moment: Among the many jump scares, it’s series
Standout scary moment: The end of “15 Million Merits”, when Bing is two’s opener which presents the most horrific of scenarios: people are stuck
revealed to have been incorporated into the system he once hated. Bleak. RP in a tram, with no way out, in the midst of a zombie terrorist attack. SK

10 SFX presents Horror

 the TV TERROR TOP 40
Edward and Tubbs: At first Millennium skirted
such a nice couple. around the supernatural...

24 THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN (UK)

years: 1999–2002 Episodes: 19
Making people laugh at horror is relatively easy. Making them laugh with
it, however, is a whole other matter. Set around the grotesque residents of
fictional village Royston Vasey, The League Of Gentleman was a comedy where
the laughs came at the price of unease. The incestuous “local” terror of Tubbs
and Edward; the aggressive, perverted landlord Pop; the frog-keeping nudists
holding their nephew captive; Herr Lipp, the German sexual-deviant with a
cleft palate and, of course, the wife-kidnapping creation that is Papa Lazarou.
Writers and horror fans Mark Gatiss, Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton and
Jeremy Dyson (the only member not to star) know the mechanics of fetish
and fear and they know how to use them. This was particularly true for the
show’s Christmas special: 55 minutes of Hammer horror homage in the form
of witches, curses, voodoo, vampires and a nightmarish father Christmas, all
framed in the style of Amicus Studios horror anthologies of the 1970s.

Standout scary moment:  Everyone has their favourite, but a truly

chilling scene comes from perverse German Councillor Herr Lipp, whose
affections for one student get a little out of hand, when he buries him alive with
nothing but a snorkel to breathe through... Urgh. SK

...All that changed in

season two.

23 American Gothic (US)

years: 1995–1996 Episodes: 22
22 Millennium (US)
years: 1996–1999 Episodes: 67
A fiercely empathic profiler battles his personal demons with the help of his
Sherriff Lucas Buck might not be the antichrist, but he definitely knows his family and the mysterious Millennium Group who have plans for them all.
phone number. The opening episode sees Buck murder the family of Caleb Millennium is patient zero for everything from Hannibal to Criminal Minds.
Temple, a young boy with a destiny, just to make sure he gets to be the one It established the profiler as a viable horror hero and gleefully mixed every
to shape it. Standing between Lucas and Caleb are Doctor Matt, the newly kind of crime and horror trope together. Every season, the show was different.
arrived town doctor, Gail Emory, a journalist who grew up in the town and Killer of the week stories, all with unusual depth and compassion, gave way to
Merlyn, the ghost of Caleb’s sister. a gloriously loopy apocalyptic conspiracy and finally a combination of the two.
Very much a spiritual predecessor to True Blood, American Gothic takes Anchoring it all is Henriksen as the endlessly kind, gentle Frank Black (named
a different approach to small-town horror. Where True Blood sprawled, after the Pixies/Catholics frontman). It’s his best work and the show’s unique
American Gothic’s strength is its razor sharp focus. This is a war for the tone wouldn’t work with anyone else in the spotlight. Megan Gallagher as his
soul of a single boy, and the show never pulls a punch or lets up the tension. wife is also excellent, as is future Lost alum Terry O’Quinn as Frank’s handler.
Massively ahead of its time and blisteringly inventive, it’s worth it for a career Modern TV horror is born here, so do what Frank would do and investigate.
highlight turn from Gary Cole as Sherriff Buck.
Standout scary moment: The moment in season two finale, “The Time
Standout scary moment: Sheriff Buck explaining how perception Is Now”, when the Millennium Group makes a decision Utopia fans will find
works to his Deputy using charm and a loaded gun. AS very familiar. AS

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He’s not impressed
with your tweets.

21 ANGEL (US)
years: 1999–2004 Episodes: 110
Angel, the spin-off show to Buffy The Vampire Slayer, allowed Joss Whedon
19 True Blood (US)
years: 2008–2014 Episodes: 80
to carry on telling supernatural stories but in the darker, grittier setting of There were US vampire TV shows before True Blood, but with the exception
Los Angeles: the city of demons. Starring David Boreanaz as Buffy’s brooding, of Buffy The Vampire Slayer (and its spin-off Angel) none had captured
sexually-frustrated vampire ex, it focussed on Angel Investigations: a group of such a wide adult audience (HBO’s biggest since The Sopranos) as well as
private detectives led by our eponymous hero in a bid to “help the helpless”. widespread critical acclaim. Yet even Buffy largely equated vampirism with
While sharing similarities to Buffy's format and sense of humour, the gore, evil, whereas True Blood presented its undead protagonists as sympathetically
violence and horror elements of Angel were allowed to go further than the as any of its fairies, shapeshifters, or other assorted races. Adapted by Alan
slayer ever did. The episode “Hell Bound”, for example, depicted graphic Ball from author Charlaine Harris’s Southern Vampire Mysteries series, True
torture, including a woman with no arms and a man cutting off his own Blood, in its first and best season, took its cue from Bram Stoker’s Dracula
fingers. The themes of the stories were more adult, too, with “I’ve Got You in introducing a mysterious stranger (Stephen Moyer’s Bill Compton) from
Under My Skin” riffing off The Exorcist with its story of a child possessed by a another time and culture into a contemporary milieu (21st century New
demon, and “Billy” tackling the very real horror of murderous misogyny.  Orleans) to the delight of its women (chiefly Anna Paquin’s telepathic
waitress Sookie Stackhouse) and the consternation of its men. Where True
Standout scary moment: In the episode “Billy”, where Wesley, Blood inverts Stoker’s formula, however, is in depicting its central vampires as
infected by murderous misogyny, goes full-on The Shining against his sweeet- more enlightened than most of its humans.
natured love interest Fred; a scene that, through connotations alone, is scarier
than any demon. SK Standout scary moment: True Blood’s most disturbing scenes are
of violation, like the kind enacted by Jason and Amy when they force a
kidnapped vampire to watch them have sex while high on his blood. JM

“No, I’m not a vampire.

What gives you that idea?”

20 Supernatural (US)
years: 2005–present Episodes: 195
It’s hard to believe that Supernatural has been around for nine years – with a 18 Ultraviolet (UK)
year: 1998 Episodes: 6
tenth season on the way – when you consider that back when it first aired in
2005, it basically ripped off a horror film every week. Of course, this was mainly There’s something scary in the ordinary, and Ultraviolet knew that better than
because a lot of horror films ripped off urban legends, and urban legends were most shows on this list. The show’s vampires can’t fly, can’t turn into bats
what the Winchester brothers found themselves fighting as they travelled and don’t target buxom young ladies residing in gothic castles. They’re all but
across America “saving people, hunting things”. So we’ve had killer scarecrows, indistinguishable from everyday folk, which means anyone could be a Code
hook-handed murderers, ghosts, ghouls, vampires, werewolves, a variation V. What’s worse, they’re using science and modern technology against us –
of that little girl from Ringu, a monster truck out for revenge and even Death creating synthetic blood so humans are no longer needed as food and working
himself. Yet the show has also put a wicked spin on a lot of this mythology and towards a mass extinction event we’d be powerless to prevent. The show is set
it’s had a lot of fun doing it, enjoying its opportunity to shake us up week after largely on the streets and creepy back alleys of London – the familiar setting
week. Without a doubt, the hardest-working person on this series is the one in now a hunting ground for the planet’s apex predator. Writer/director Joe
charge of mixing up all the gallons of blood. Ahearne has a knack for constructing unsettling sequences out of very little
while the creepy score will burrow its way under your skin for quite some time.
Standout scary moment: A repair man is fixing a waste disposal unit in
a haunted house. He puts his hand down the plughole where the blades are... Standout scary moment: Vaughn is locked in a room with four
the tension builds... SLICE! JN vampires coffins set to open in nine minutes, and help is 20 minutes away. JF

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If all else fails, chuck
in a spooky skeleton.

17 Masters of Horror (US)

years: 2005–2007 Episodes: 26
Masters Of Horror was always going to meet fanboy scorn when genuine
15 Dead Set (UK)
year: 2008 Episodes: 5
Zombies–as-metaphor have never been quite so biting as in Charlie Brooker’s
legends such as Dario Argento, John Carpenter and John Landis mixed gore-drenched satire of reality TV shows. This was Big Brother meets Day Of
with, erm, the fella who directed Demon Knight (Ernest Dickerson) and the The Dead, with odious TV execs and vacuous contestants under siege from
chap behind the remake of House On Haunted Hill (William Malone). No zombies. Dead Set was a show that worked both as a visceral slice of screen
sooner had the first press release been unleashed than internet boards were horror (it certainly never stinted on the blood) and an intelligent drama that
bemoaning the lack of Roger Corman, Wes Craven and David Cronenberg. explored modern TV’s obsession with banality. It also turned Davina MaCall,
However, to his credit, producer Mick Garris allowed each filmmaker who gamely playing herself, into one of the undead, and it’s been impossible to take
did sign on complete creative freedom. Highlights from season one include her seriously since. The biggest, blackest joke of all, though, was that zombies
Japanese legend Takashi Miike’s “Imprint” – so outrageously disgusting weren’t a metaphor for reality show contestants or producers; they represented
that it was deemed unsuitable for television – and Larry Cohen coming out the audience. Biting the hand that feeds…?
of directorial retirement for “Pick Me Up”. Couple this with Tobe Hooper’s
delirious “Dance Of The Dead” (an Iraq War-era political nightmare), Joe Standout scary moment: Patrick rants while he hacks the flesh off
Dante’s zombie comedy “Homecoming” and season two gems “Family” a dead contestant’s body to use as bait to distract the zombies: “You should
(by John Landis) and “Dream Cruise” (by Norio Tsuruta) and you have a come and help me with this, it's not as bad as it looks. Buncha cowards; I'll
masterful small-screen success. do it. What’s the fuckin’ matter with ya? Bloody backwards fucking livestock.
Think you’ve still got a fucking audience? What you gonna do? Fucking sit here,
Standout scary moment: The prolonged torture of a Japanese breathing in each others fucking bum-clouds until the sky falls in? ‘Look at me!
prostitute in “Imprint”. Try not to hit fast-forward… CW Look how famous I am! I’ve been a twat on telly for two months!’” DG

Gore-blimey! An impressive
werewolf transformation.

16 The Fades (UK)

year: 2011 Episodes: 6
What happens when the spirits of the dead stop buggering off to wherever 14 Hemlock Grove (US)
years: 2013–present Episodes: 23
they’re supposed to go after they've carked it? The answer, according to The
Fades – BBC Three's shortlived supernatural thriller – is, pretty frightening. Hemlock Grove is an uneven show, stuck somewhere between Twin Peaks
The story of “chosen one” Paul (Ian De Caestecker), his best bud Mac (the and one of the rubbish M Night Shyamalan movies. It can be ponderous and
brilliant Daniel Kaluuya) and their fight against the vengeful spirits of the dead, has a habit of treading water for episodes at a time, but there’s one moment
The Fades was a beautifully written and skilfully executed slice of small screen in the second episode that proves Hemlock Grove knows exactly what it’s
scaremongering. Full of brilliant performances (Joe Dempsie as chief Fade John doing when it comes to horror – a brutal, completely unforgettable werewolf
and Johnny Harris as fundamentalist Fade-fighter Neil in particular), this was transformation. In broad daylight a wolf busts out of a human skin suit and
a grim vision of the world on the brink of apocalypse. Leavened with great gags all you’ll want to do is retreat into yours – especially after witnessing the wolf
and geek references galore, there was a much tutting and sighing when the chow down on the poor chap’s eyes. It’s let down by some unconvincing CGI,
Beeb failed the renew The Fades for a second series. A show that hooked you but is still one of the best transformations since An American Werewolf In
with its big heart and whip-smart dialogue, then bashed you round the head London. And that’s not even the show’s most horrific moment. All we’ll say is
with properly dark shit when you were distracted. birth cauls have never looked so appetising.

Standout scary moment: For surprise and blunt brutality, it has to be Standout scary moment: A police officer is flayed alive… and left to die
Neil's murder of Jay. RP slowly and painfully. JF

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The TV TERROR TOP 40
Dentistry was very differnt
in the Victorian era.

13 Penny Dreadful (US)

year: 2014 Episodes: 8
11 Kolchak: The Night Stalker (US)
years: 1974–1975 Episodes: 22 (including two TV movies)
X-Files creator Chris Carter unashamedly cites Kolchak: The Night Stalker
A woman with incredible power. A gunslinger with a bad past and a worse as a direct influence on The X-Files, though thankfully Mulder didn’t wear a
future. An explorer desperate to save his daughter. A scientist desperate to straw trilby. It looked much better on horror TV’s Lt Columbo, the slightly
save everyone and get the attending glory. Penny Dreadful is, appropriately, dishevelled newspaper reporter Carl Kolchak, who unwittingly began to
a patchwork homunculus of the classics of Victorian and gothic fiction. It investigate supernatural shenanigans in the Chicago area. This began with
should be a mess, but instead, it’s alive! two TV movies, The Night Stalker (featuring a vampire) and The Night
The show has incredible atmosphere, confidence and aplomb, all of it Strangler (about a killer who uses his victim’s blood to extend his life) before
embodied in a career best turn by Eva Green. Green has been turning in Kolchak was given his own series where he encountered zombies, aliens,
effortlessly great work for years (she was, after all, the woman who broke werewolves and a witch, among other horror staples. The mighty Richard
007’s heart) but here she's on top form; haughty, wry and terrified. The fact Matheson (I Am Legend, The Incredible Shrinking Man) wrote the TV movies,
her scenes are almost all shared with Timothy Dalton only helps matters. but wasn’t involved in the series. It all looks a bit tame now, but it was the
They’re a haunted Steed and Peel, the still centre of a frenetic cast of pinnacle of what TV could get away with horror-wise at the time, and hugely
characters and stories combined with all the genius of Dr Frankenstein and influential in the development of the genre on the small screen.
delivered with gusto. It’s blood soaked and brilliant stuff.
Standout scary moment: To kill a zombie, Kolchak has to pour salt in
Standout scary moment: Frankenstein’s monster ripping apart its mouth then sew its lips together. DG
Frankenstein’s newer monster. AS

I'm not afraid of the dark – I’m

afraid of this weird-ass dude.

12 Salem’s Lot (US)

year: 1979 Episodes: 2
In his most famous film, the zero-budget The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,
10 Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark (US)
year: 1973 Episodes: 1 (TV movie)
While the 2011 Guillermo del Toro-produced theatrical movie is the version
director Tobe Hooper was free to plunge audiences headfirst into the most with which today’s audiences are most familiar, the genre auteur bows before
depraved of screen imagery. But in adapting Stephen King’s 1975 novel – a this original TV film, directed by TV vet John Newland and scripted by Nigel
reimagining of Dracula in which the vampire invades not England but New McKeand. Sally Farnham (Kim Darby, of Star Trek’s “Miri”) and her husband
England – into a commercial television miniseries, the filmmaker was forced to Alex (Jim Hutton) inherit a Victorian mansion they soon learn is crawling
rely on mood and atmosphere to evoke dread. Fortunately, Hooper succeeded, with tiny critters, whispering “We want you” in the dead of night to Sally,
and the result – starring James Mason and Starsky And Hutch’s David Soul as who has inadvertently set them free from their basement captivity. Unlike the
a writer returning to his boyhood home to find it under undead siege – not Arthur Rackham-inspired CG fairies of Del Toro’s remake, these goblins-as-
only met with King’s approval but inspired later epics like Fright Night, The space-aliens have an eeriness made all the more tactile by the film’s low-
Lost Boys and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Changing main vamp antagonist Kurt budget makeup effects. And the film joins thrillers like Rosemary’s Baby and
Barlow into a Nosferatu-like monster (played by Reggie Nalder, of Star Trek’s The Stepford Wives in examining its era’s marginalisation of women. Though
“Journey To Babel”), Hooper and screenwriter Paul Monash succeeded in Dan Curtis’s The Night Stalker and Trilogy Of Terror come close, Don’t Be
creating one of the best Stephen King adaptations ever. Afraid of the Dark remains the pinnacle of early ’70s US TV movie terror.

Standout scary moment: Child vamp Ralphie Glick (Ronnie Scribner) Standout scary moment: While Sally is taking a shower, the creatures
floats outside his brother’s window, enshrouded in mist. JM try to attack her with a razor. jm

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09 Being Human (UK) Never mind the blood, check

out the product placement.

years: 2008–2013 Episodes: 37

From Bristol to Barry Island, Being Human took a knockabout premise – a
werewolf, a vampire and a ghost move in together – and made it into something
special. The original trio, featuring Mitchell (Aiden Turner), a vampire gone
cold turkey, friendly wolf-man George (Russell Tovey) and tea-obsessed ghost
Annie (Lenora Crichlow) were a loveable lot, which only made the horror all
the more effective when it came.
The housemates were put through the wringer from the off, facing down
personal demons alongside threats including maniac vampires, supernatural
hunters and, er, a baby from the future. Buckets of blood and deaths by the
score followed, so much so that by series four a whole new cast were required.
The move was handled well, with new vampire Hal (Damien Maloney),
werewolf Tom (Michael Socha) and Alex (Kate Bracken) winning hearts, but
it wasn’t to last. The BBC cancelled Being Human after the fifth series. We’ll
always love it though.

Standout scary moment: Apart from the fact that it has turned traveling
through Box Hill tunnel by trains into a traumatic experience, there was also
werewolf George racing to escape a primary school mid-transformation. RP It’s gonna be absolute murder
getting that out in the wash.

08 Twin Peaks (US)

years: 1990–1991 Episodes: 29
These days, a television series about the murder of a homecoming queen in
07 Hammer House Of Horror (UK)
year: 1980 Episodes: 13
Having breathed its (then) last cinematic breath with the 1979 remake of The
a tiny Pacific Northwest town would probably go down the CSI route, with Lady Vanishes, Hammer Films moved into television with this series of 13 self-
law enforcement following up the clues using forensic evidence while we contained horror stories. Jolly good fun they were too.
learn next-to-nothing about the victim’s life... only her death. But Twin Peaks There were many memorable instalments: Denholm Elliott caught in a
wanted more. It wanted us to feel the loss of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) and it recurring nightmare in “Rude Awakening”, Diana Dors and her werewolf kids
wanted us to ponder the evil that could do such a terrible thing: an evil that in “Children Of The Full Moon”, Peter Cushing’s final Hammer appearance
turned out to be a spirit named BOB who moved from host to host. Sure, Twin as a vengeful ex-Nazi officer in “The Silent Scream”… And as producer Roy
Peaks’ two-season run was a little soap opera-ish (though it also parodied the Skeggs said, “for the first time, we had the joy of letting the baddies win.” Some
genre with Invitation To Love, a fictional soap glimpsed in the first season), episodes fell below standard (“Growing Pains” and “Charlie Boy” for instance)
but when it wanted to scare the bejeesus out of viewers... well, it scared but they were still topped and tailed by that marvellous title sequence, featuring
the bejeesus out of viewers. When BOB made a rare appearance, such as a spooky abbey (actually a former girls’ school) and a cracking score.
clambering unexpectedly over somebody’s couch and pressing his face right Apparently it can’t be released on Blu-ray as ITV can’t find the original
up to the camera, you almost pooped yourself. negatives. D’oh! Check it out on DVD, though.

Standout scary moment: The murder of Maddy Ferguson – graphic, Standout scary moment: The childrens’ birthday party drenched in
surreal and genuinely, heartbreakingly shocking. JN blood in “The House That Bled To Death” (great title). RL

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The Weasely twins make
an unexpected cameo.

06 The Twilight Zone (US)

years: 1959–1964 Episodes: 156
Boasting stark black and white photography, Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone
04 AMERICAN HORROR STORY (US)
years: 2011–present Episodes: 38
American Horror Story doesn’t command the same critical adoration as, say,
terrorised a generation of Americans who were already feeling unsettled Game Of Thrones. It doesn’t pull in the big numbers like The Walking Dead.
about the fate of the human race. This was the Cold War era of US politics But this peculiar series is a bit of a game-changer for TV horror...
– the atomic bomb looming large and Vietnam and the civil rights explosion First there’s the format. Each season is a standalone story with different
lurking around the corner. Serling’s genius was to place everyday characters characters (albeit often played by the same actors).
in nightmarish, and frequently combative, scenarios – and to make such Then there’s the tone. Put simply, American Horror Story is insane.
instances seem as if they actually could happen. Launching with “Where Is Episodes lurch gleefully from murder and mutilation to song-and-dance
Everybody?” – a straightforward but tense “last man on Earth” story – The routines. Season two managed to cram in demonically-possessed nuns, alien
Twilight Zone arguably hit its peak in its second and third seasons. Such abduction, a murderous Santa and Nazis.
imaginative instalments as “King Nine Will Not Return” (also the first time The show also reaches out from the usual straight white male
Serling did his on-camera introduction) and “It’s A Good Life” (a young child demographic. Season two is openly about the oppression of women and the
controls the fate of a village) still hold up as first rate fright. show frequently features gay and lesbian characters in prominent, well-
developed roles. This shouldn’t be noteworthy in 2014, but, shamefully, still is.
Standout scary moment: The Holocaust ghosts of “Deaths-Head Most importantly, the show lives up to its name – it’s gleefully horrible.
Revisited” who arise to torment the commandant of Dachau concentration There are things here that, once seen, are unlikely ever to be forgotten...
camp. CW
Standout scary moment: Not scary, but definitely unsettling, Lana
performing a DIY abortion on herself with a coat hanger is a vile highpoint
“But there’s still a chance in season two. The title sequence is also impressive. Though the imagery
he'll recover, right?” change, the oppressive, grinding industrial music remains the same. WS

05 Hannibal (US)

03
years: 2013–present Episodes: 26
You have to hand it to Hannibal: it is, without a doubt, the most psychologically
Ghostwatch (UK)
disturbing show on television right now. It could well be the most disturbing year: 1992 Episodes: 1
show ever: an endless parade of death, suffering, surrealism and silver-tongued
deceit that also looks so aesthetically ravishing that you wonder if it should be In Ghostwatch, author Stephen Volk both tricked a nation and parodied reality
entered for some kind of Turner Prize. This is horror painted by Michelangelo TV almost before it was a thing, while also telling a classic ghost story.
possessed by Hieronymus Bosch (aka Bryan Fuller). The concept is brilliant in its simplicity; the show is presented as though
Hannibal Lecter has been around in one form or another (and one spelling it's a jolly, patronising BBC live event. A camera crew, accompanied by Craig
or another...) since 1981’s Red Dragon, written by Thomas Harris, but thanks Charles and Sarah Greene, are broadcasting live from a “haunted house” while
to Mads Mikkelsen’s understated performance he’s been given a new lease of Michael Parkinson anchors a surprisingly sensible discussion in the studio.
life... and death. This is a universe in which bodies pile up in strange and arcane It’s all gentle, knockabout fun until, all of a sudden, something odd happens.
ways, often twisted into gruesome shapes or sculptures. Just when you think A viewer reports seeing something in the house, the camera crew experience
the imagery can’t get any worse – human heads used as beehives, totem poles strange noises and attacks – and then all hell breaks loose. The reality format is
made up of corpses, skin flayed from bodies to resemble angel wings – Hannibal shattered right along with your expectations and the ending is simple, chilling
will cook a tasty meal and serve it to his colleagues. and audacious.
We British may have scoffed at those yanks for getting in a tizz about Orson
Standout scary moment: A man glued into a giant human “colour Welles’s War Of The Worlds, but we fell for Ghostwatch.
wheel” escapes his deadly fate by peeling the skin off his body in gruesome,
excruciating detail. JN Standout scary moment: The very last thing you see... AS

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02 The X-Files (US)

years: 1993–2002 Episodes: 202
The X-Files loved its gore. It loved its aliens. It
When their eyes met across an alien
cadaver, they knew it was love.

loved its conspiracy theories and its unresolved

sexual tension, but most of all it loved to send its
two FBI agents wandering through strange places
in the dark with nothing to light their way but
a flashlight. And, as any horror fan can tell you,
wandering around in the dark with a flashlight
is a recipe for slow, creeping terror, as you never
quite know what’s going to jump out and bite your
head off...
Luckily for Agents Mulder and Scully, nothing
ever did bite their heads off, but they certainly
tangled with some horrific foes over their nine-
season run. From infamous freaky monsters
(the Flukeman from “Host”) to terrifying alien
intrusions (the tummy-expanding procedures
performed on Scully during her abduction) to
plain old gore (exploding boils in “F Emasculata”),
The X-Files had so much fun pushing the
boundaries of horror on primetime TV that by
the time it reached its final couple of seasons, its
attempts to be scary had almost become a little
passé. But the lead-up was magnificent... and who
would have thought that a series that tackled
cannibalism, incest, human liver-munching
mutants and alien viruses would become one of
the most popular shows on the planet?

Standout scary moment: Scully being

menaced by the mutant Eugene Tooms, a stretchy
psycho who sneaks into your home using tiny
vents or holes. JN

Zombies always hog

the ribs at BBQs.

Rick’s face is all

like: “Seriously?”

01 The Walking Dead (US) survivors making their way across a country a case to be made that year four was the first in
infested with deadly monsters and even deadlier which every one of the survivors’ motivations was
humans, but he too departed at the end of season understandable. The result is that The Walking Dead
years: 2011–present Episodes: 51 three. The ongoing problems weren’t entirely now occupies a stronger position than ever before
America’s most successful serialised horror drama behind the scenes either, as the show’s central Through it all, the work of executive producer
is arguably the most watched original scripted dynamic – a love triangle between Grimes, his wife and make-up maestro Greg Nicotero cannot
television series in the world today. But the road Lori, and his partner Shane Walsh – often led to be overstated. Nicotero brings his experience
The Walking Dead has taken has not been an easy clichéd narrative and flat characterisation. working on ’80s horror classics to an increasingly
one. The adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s comic Still, narratively The Walking Dead was sophisticated drama. One that star Lincoln aptly
book was initiated by filmmakers Frank Darabont reanimated in its third season with the introduction describes as “Lord Of The Flies with zombies”.
and Gale Anne Hurd, but endured growing pains, of David Morrisey’s villainous Governor and the
culminating with Darabont’s departure. kitana-wielding warrior Michonne. Things got Standout scary moment: With his friends’
His successor Glen Mazzara furthered the even better in season four, with the promotion of lives threatened and his son facing a terrible fate,
story of lawman Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), Scott Gimple to showrunner, and the development Rick bites into the neck of his enemy, surrendering
the reluctant leader of a small band of apocalypse of characters like Carol and Beth. Indeed there’s to the animal within. And he’s fine with it. JM

SFX presents Horror 17

Alien

A l i e n C A S E F ILE S • 25 May 1979

• 117 minutes
• X certificate
• Director: Ridley Scott
• Writer: Dan O’Bannon
• Brandywine Productions/
Twentieth Century Fox

ALIEN
Alien

Ripley
As the prototype ass-kicking female
heroine, we think of Ellen Ripley
What were the vital ingredients as a fearless Amazon, but one of
the pleasures of watching Alien is
that made the original Alien such a seeing her emerge. Initially she’s a
peripheral character, and a largely
success, asks Ian Berriman? unsympathetic one – a chilly
jobsworth, more concerned with
sticking to the quarantine rules than
the feelings of her colleagues. Later,
she has moments of weakness and
panic – she’s not a superwoman.

Giger’s Over the course of her hero’s journey

we see Ellen becoming Ripley. The
Nostromo is the crucible in which

Creature she is forged.

The biology of the alien defies

any explanation other than the
magical. One minute it’s less than
a foot high; shortly afterwards it’s
man-sized... how? Wouldn’t it have
to, er, metabolise huge amounts of
protein, or summat? Fortunately, HR
Giger’s designs are so beguiling that
you let that slide. Terrifyingly other
Ash
yet elegant as a Ferrari, it would Screenwriter Dan O’Bannon is sniffy about this subplot, inserted into
almost be a privilege to be gored by his script by other hands. But while it’s true that Alien would remain
it. There’s something of the S&M a great movie without it, the revelation that medic Ash is an android,
dungeon about it – it’s not much a Company plant there to ensure the creature’s survival, is a brilliant
All images © 20th Century Fox, Main picture courtesy The Kobal Collection
of a leap to imagine it cracking a twist. Although we’re not sure it quite makes sense... how did the
bullwhip and grinding a stiletto heel Company know that the signal received by the Nostromo would lead
into your groin, is it? Anyone...? them to a “life form”?
Just us, then.

CLASSIC SCENE: THE CHESTBURSTER

01 It’s the actors’ reactions that make this scene.

As John Hurt grimaces, Yaphet Kotto just
grins like he’s got a bad case of Delhi belly – the
02 Veronica Cartwright knew an alien would
emerge, but didn’t know she was gonna be
sprayed in the face with blood, so her startled
03 The moment where the chestburster slowly
looks around is both eerie and comic, and
gives you a sense that this creature could be our
facehugger’s been forgotten. reaction is authentic... intellectual equal.

18 SFX presents Horror Subscribe at www.sfx.co.uk/subscriptions

 Alien

The Grunge
Aesthetic
Alien’s set designs aren’t a total break
from the norm: the computer room
is filled with the traditional winking
lights; the hypersleep chamber is
an immaculate, gleaming white
environment; and yes, it has automatic
doors that slide open with a hiss.
But Alien’s grimy, worn surfaces and
industrial forms (built up from old
aircraft parts) became the new industry
standard for spaceship interiors.

The Poster
Imagine how crass this poster could have been
– all gore and guts. Instead, it’s a teasing puzzle
– what is that thing? An egg? And what’s inside?
Then marvel at the fact that one of the best
tag-lines in movie history – “In space no one can
hear you scream” – is whispered in lower-case
Helvetica. Classy. Enigmatic. Understated.

Freudian
Imagery
The spaceship on the planet surface
resembles a splayed pair of legs,
accessed through a vaginal aperture.
The alien eggs inside (dressed with
all sorts of glistening meat products)
are a sexophobe’s nightmare. The
chestburster resembles a snappy-
toothed phallus, as do the alien’s
drooling, face-penetrating inner jaws.
Dripping with perverse, bloody birth
imagery and symbolic rapes, Alien is a
car crash of castration complexes and
genital revulsion.

Parker & Brett The Drinking Birds

Yaphet Kotto’s Parker and Harry Dean Nice to see that naff novelties survive into the far-
Stanton’s Brett are blue-collar grunts who future. Check out the “drinking birds” bobbing in
moan about their pay and wind up their and out of a coffee mug on the Nostromo’s dining
superiors – plumbers in space, basically. table! Who brought them along?! It’s almost as

Jones the Cat

They ground the story in a recognisable jarring as if Captain Dallas suddenly roller-skated
reality we can relate to. In Alien, in wearing a pair of deely-boppers...
“astronauts” still smoke roll-ups, wear
Our favourite ginger tom not only Hawaiian shirts and plaster their bunks
provides scares by leaping out at
unexpected moments, but also
with porn. It couldn’t be further removed
from the anodyne, airbrushed world of
The HInts Of A Bigger Story…
humanises his mistress – ya gotta Star Trek, populated with paragons. SPECIAL ORDER 937.
love a heroine who goes back for her
SCIENCE OFFICER EYES ONLY.
kitty! And when the full-grown alien
makes its first appearance, Jones’s NOSTROMO REROUTED TO NEW CO-ORDINATES.
reaction sells the moment far better
INVESTIGATE LIFE FORM. GATHER SPECIMEN.
than Harry Dean Stanton’s (the cat
was actually reacting to a German PRIORITY ONE INSURE RETURN OF ORGANISM
Shepherd!). Plus, he looks dead cute FOR ANALYSIS. ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
when he licks his ickle paws. Aww.
SECONDARY. CREW EXPENDABLE.

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 19

Aliens

ALIENS
James Cameron’s superb sequel to Ridley Scott’s iconic creature feature won
Sigourney Weaver an Academy Award nomination and redefined what horror
follow-ups could be. Calum Waddell discovers why Aliens is more
than just another bug hunt...

A l i e n C A S E F ILE S

AlienS

20 SFX presents Horror Subscribe at www.sfx.co.uk/subscriptions

 Aliens

The Colonial Marines: total

badasses or alien-fodder?
Take a wild guess...

Ripley chooses to head

back to LV-426. Rather
you than us, Rip!

I
n the 1980s, sequels to hit genre films were
ten-a-penny, but few of them equalled the
awe of their original template. Hurried
churned-out follow-ups to blockbuster
blood-spurters like Friday The 13th, Halloween
and A Nightmare On Elm Street struggled to
maintain any sense of suspense let alone surprise.
Meanwhile, the likes of The Hills Have Eyes Part II
(1984), Howling II (1985), Silent Night, Deadly Night
Part 2 (1987) and the repetitive sea-shocks of the
Jaws mythology met with understandable critical
and commercial derision.
Make no mistake, then, that when a certain Mr
James Cameron signed on to helm the second
instalment in the Alien series he was well aware
of the trials and tribulations of building upon an
established cinematic property. After all, this was
the man who had gained his first shot at movie
fame with the flop fiasco Piranha II: The Spawning
(1981) – a considerable collapse in quality from Joe
Dante’s previous carnivorous fish classic. Indeed,

“while the first alien was a horror

Piranha II was so toothless that for a less talented
auteur it would surely have resulted in career death.
In Cameron’s case, though, it led to The Terminator
(1984) and a new wave of critical acclaim.

War? Here’s What It’s Good For

Therefore, going into Aliens, the fiercely ambitious
movie, cameron’s creeper opted to
protégé of Roger Corman knew exactly what
needed to be done in order to further the frights
and fear that had made Ridley Scott’s trendsetter so
mesh together numerous genres”
terrifying. It was going to be a very different movie. Sci-fi fans, meanwhile, were doubtlessly pleased at
“The first Alien was a haunted house film in the stunning special effects and the claustrophobic
outer space,” begins Gale Anne Hurd, the producer feeling of being trapped on a desolate monster-
of both The Terminator and Aliens (and Cameron’s ridden planet. Finally, Aliens – at its heart – is a love
wife at the time). “But Jim and I knew that if we story: not just between Ripley and the stranded
followed that formula for a sequel it would have little girl Newt but also in the warm depiction of
just been a remake. There was also no way to Weaver’s sexual chemistry with rugged co-star
improve upon Ridley’s movie – it is the perfect Michael Biehn.
horror picture. So we thought we should take the “If Sigourney had said she didn’t want to
franchise in a new direction – and that is what, do Aliens we wouldn’t have made the movie,”
thanks to Jim’s script, we did.” continues Hurd. “Sigourney is not only the action
While the first Alien was a horror movie first, heroine of the film but the core of the story. And
and a sci-fi space-scraper second (the Nostromo she delivered a tremendous dramatic performance.
could just as easily have been the Amityville Our plan with Aliens was to ramp-up the action
house), Cameron’s creeper opted to mesh together content and make the audience feel as if they were
numerous genres. Sure, the body-horror shocks of in the middle of an all-out war. We also spent a
Ridley Scott’s chest-bursting blockbuster remained great deal of time on the monsters themselves: the
but, as this was the 1980s, Cameron took Aliens lifecycle of an alien was something we discussed –
down the road of the then en-vogue action film as well as the design of the Queen Alien, who was
trend (it is worth noting that the director had also an important new character.”
co-scripted Rambo: First Blood Part II). Indeed,
the poster tagline for Aliens – “this time it’s war” – Wake-Up Call
aptly hints at the jingoistic, if effective, depiction Taking place 57 years after the events of Alien, Hudson and Vasquez:
things don’t quite work
of gung-ho squaddies mowing down hordes of Cameron’s film begins with Weaver’s Ripley being out for these guys...
xenomorphs in an orgy of bullets and acid-blood. awoken from cyber-sleep and cajoled into telling

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 21

Aliens

It may have a different

tone, but Aliens doesn’t
stint on the gore.

Drake's audition for

the part of Two Face
was unsuccessful.

“CAMERON’S GENIUS WAS TO COME INTO Ripley and Hicks’ budding

SCOTT’S WORLD AND INCREASE THE ACTION”

relationship is a rare touch
of warmth in the saga.

Carrie Henn put in a her story to a friendly – but ultimately sleazy – 1982’s 48 Hrs), but admits some hesitations about
fantastic performance, but stuffed suit called Carter Burke (well played by the franchise’s then-growing popularity…
quit acting after Aliens. Paul Reiser). Ultimately, Ripley’s employer – the “There is a massive downside to that sort of
Weyland-Yutani Corporation – disbelieves her balls-out, big budget, special effects filmmaking,”
story about an alien life form attacking the crew he admits. “With the first Alien, our chief
of the Nostromo and suspends her from pilot contribution was this: we liked the idea of bringing
duty. However, after communication is lost with a more sophisticated style of filmmaking to what
the colony of LV-426 (the small planet from the had always been regarded as a B-picture. I always
first film where John Hurt was impregnated with thought that if you did that you would have a
an extraterrestrial ogre), Weaver is lured back to commercially rewarding endeavour. Now, usually
the area with a crew of heavily armed marines to when people set out to do things that are designed
“guard” her. to make money they turn out to be pretty awful
Of course, what awaits our leading lady and her and it doesn’t work. But with Alien it did. However,
military compatriots is not for the faint of heart… in some ways we sort of poisoned everything.
“Cameron’s genius was to come into this world The approach of these movies choked out a lot of
that Ridley Scott had established and increase the serious dramatic films and I don’t think it was such
production values and the amount of action that a good thing in the long run.”
was on the screen,” states Alec Gillis, who worked
on the film’s creature effects. “My only issue with To B or Not To B
Aliens was that it was maybe a little bit too kickass. Yet, despite setting the stage for a new surge in
I think the fear factor was lessened because the special effects sophistication, Aliens still held onto
monsters were just blown away with a gunshot to its B-movie roots. This is perhaps most evident in
the head. But it was a daunting task for Cameron Cameron’s casting. Joining Biehn and Weaver, for
to try and live up to a movie as good as Alien and instance, was Lance Henriksen – a holdover from
he made it clear he wanted to do a war film and Piranha II and The Terminator but also a regular
take the story away from the haunted house of the of such lesser known horror oddities as Mansion
Nostromo. That is another reason why Aliens is Of The Doomed (1976) and The Visitor (1979).
such a cool movie – it might seem inseparable from Portraying the heroic android Bishop, Henriksen
the first film but it’s actually very different.” gained a late-in-the-day injection of fame – and
Also considering the blockbuster intentions repeated his most famous role in Alien 3 and also
of Aliens was Walter Hill – the Hollywood Alien Vs Predator…
heavyweight who had worked on the story of Ridley “I really inhabited that character,” states
Scott’s original and also produced the initial space- Henrikson. “I didn’t want the audience to think
set pot-boiler. Hill joined Aliens as an executive of him as a robot. James and I had already bonded
producer having experienced success as a director by that time so I tried not to bother him too much.
in his own right (including 1979’s The Warriors and He was under a lot of pressure on that film. He

22 SFX presents Horror Subscribe at www.sfx.co.uk/subscriptions

 Aliens

From the guns to the sets,

everything was on a bigger
scale than the first film.

wanted to make a movie as good as Alien – and why with the studio – mainly it was for lighting and
shouldn’t he? What is the point of doing something props… And they were all great workers; don’t
that isn’t going to live up to the original? But this get me wrong on that. However, they had a habit
was his first huge-scale project – much bigger of coming in every five minutes with big trays
than The Terminator – and everyone would be of tea and interrupting the work. Jim eventually
asking James questions, including the cast and the snapped and said, ‘Would you guys please stop
The Colonial
producers. Each time he was asked something he these interruptions and just leave me alone to Marines head into
would also be looking at his wrist watch because he work?’ And on that count I was on his side. It is all the alien nest.
didn’t have a lot of time to get everything he wanted personalities on a film set but the way I see it, and
done. Every dollar that James gets from a studio the way Jim sees it, is that it should be principles
ends up on the screen and that was never truer than before personalities. It’s not a case of whether you
with Aliens. Making that film was like going to war. like someone – it is a case of, ‘Are we going to get
It really was – we were all pushing ourselves.” our heads down and give this our best shot or not?’
Henriksen also maintains that one of the reasons James was not messing about on that film.”
Cameron obtained the hardliner reputation that he
currently “enjoys” is down to his ridiculously strict Grrrl Power
work ethic… Also enjoying a sizeable stint on Aliens, and making
“We shot Aliens in London,” adds the actor. Ripley look physically unthreatening was the
“Back in those days they had people under contract muscular Jenette Goldstein as Private Vasquez…

“IT WAS A DAUNTING TASK FOR CAMERON

TO TRY AND LIVE UP TO ALIEN. HE MADE IT On set of the

CLEAR HE WANTED TO DO A WAR FILM”

inhospitable planet,
LV-426.

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 23

Aliens

If you think Newt’s having See, this is what

a hard time, imagine being happens when you
the dude in the suit.... give kids glue guns.

“I was thrilled to be cast as Vasquez – although

I knew it was largely because of my physical
look,” remembers the actress. “I had seen Alien
and I thought it was a really good horror movie. I
am a big fan of the genre – The Texas Chain Saw
Massacre, for instance, is a personal favourite of
mine – so I thought Aliens was going to be more
along the lines of the Ridley Scott film. However,
as I believe James has also said, Aliens was a war
movie. It had its gruesome parts and some very ski poles and his team acting out the movements of
suspenseful moments but it was really all about the creature. Before he started the design process
these grunts going into a remote world to kill a he wanted to think about how this huge monster
resourceful enemy. I think James Cameron really would present itself and how it might function.
changed the way women were perceived at that That was just the sort of perfectionist he was.”
time because he had two strong females in a
mainstream movie – and it was hard enough to find Box-Office Monster
even one back then [laughs].” Of course, with its feel-good spirit (sure, some
Another pivotal piece of the Aliens puzzle was of the supporting cast might end up splattered
the late, great effects wizard Stan Winston – who across the screen but Bishop, Hicks, Newt and
took HR Giger’s original xenomorph design and Ripley make it to the end credits) and rollercoaster
expanded it into the now iconic Queen Alien. thrills, Aliens would go on to become a pop culture
Still spawning merchandise tie-ins to this day, the phenomenon. Even more so than its predecessor,
Queen’s presence – and the protection she offers Cameron caught the zeitgeist of his era: in this case
to her own offspring – resonates perfectly with the the 1980s and the action movie formula of muscles,
image of Ripley desperately trying to keep her own military and might. Wrapping these facets up in the
adopted daughter, Newt, from harm… commercial tinfoil of terror-bound Ripley, hulking
“Stan was such a vital part of Aliens,” admits otherworldly horrors and ample sanguine spillage,
Hurd. “He brought passion and insight into Aliens really did offer something for everyone…
everything that he created – and I miss him dearly. “I waited in line for over an hour to see the first
However, he lives on every time you watch Aliens. Alien and I loved it so much I went back to watch
His Queen Alien is an incredible feat – and I it again the next day,” mentions Hurd. “It was such
remember our first test of that character: it was a thrilling movie – and I think audiences reacted
in the parking lot at his studios and the beast had to Aliens in a similar way. I made a point of seeing
been assembled with little more than garbage bags, Aliens with a packed house in Hollywood – at a

“another pivotal piece of the puzzle

All these years
was effects wizard stan winston, who
expanded on hr giger’s xeno designs”
later, Ripley is still
fearsomely cool.

24 SFX presents Horror Subscribe at www.sfx.co.uk/subscriptions

 Aliens

what the aliens

cast did next
We all know that Sigourney Weaver maintained her
place on the Hollywood A-list after Aliens but what
became of the rest of the principal cast?

Despite becoming an overnight

child star as Newt and winning a
Saturn Award in the process,
Carrie Henn quit acting after the
film and later became a teacher.

Paul Reiser left slimey Burke

behind and found his biggest
fame on the small screen:
headlining TV staples My Two
Dads and Mad About You.

Bill Paxton reached directorial

fame with Frailty (2000) and
reunited with Cameron for True
Lies (1994) and Titanic (1997). He
was recently in Agents Of SHIELD.

Jenette Goldstein had less luck

and regressed into bit-parts (blink
and you’ll miss her in Titanic) but
In space, no one can hear
you scream “Bloody hell, enjoyed a more prominent role in
it’s absolutely freezing!” shlocker Autopsy (2008).

Back To School? Crocodile Dundee? The Karate Kid, Michael Biehn, meanwhile, flirted
Part II?). Furthermore, to this day, fans continue with stardom – playing opposite
to argue about which of the two movies is better: Demi Moore in The Seventh Sign
Scott’s tense and torrid splatter-suspenser or (1988) and headlining Cameron’s
Cameron’s loud and lavish tale of gun-fetishism The Abyss (1989) – before making
and female empowerment… a home for himself in B-movies,
“It’s a close call for me because I do agree that appearing in self-referential cameos (2007’s Planet
Aliens is a fantastic film,” reasons Gillis. “But I still Terror) and directing low budget horror such as
fall back towards the first Alien as my favourite. The Victim (2011).
All of the elements that could have gone wrong in
the making of that movie – such as the man in the Interestingly, many of Aliens’
creature suit and keeping everything secluded in a core characters – including Lance
spaceship – were done so beautifully and flawlessly Henriksen, Goldstein and Bill
that it paved the way for Cameron’s success with Paxton – were brought back
Aliens. But, listen, kudos to James Cameron for together for Kathryn Bigelow’s
making Aliens look as good as he did because we horror classic Near Dark (1987).
only had about 12 alien suits on that shoot. But Since then, Henriksen has been a genre staple with
Cameron would just say, ‘Point the camera over choice credits including Pumpkinhead (1988), Hard
there and we’ll have six, point it over there and Target (1993), Scream 3 (2000) and starring in
Have you been at
the mac and cheese we’ll show four and then point over there so we Chris Carter's serial killer thriller Millennium on TV.
again, Bishop? can show two.’ Pretty soon you had 30 of them but
it was all the same guys.”
For some, though, Aliens was just a little bit At this point it’s fair
midnight screening during its opening weekend. too successful. And the damage to Scott’s original to say that Ripley's
The crowd went wild, shouted at the screen, mythology was already becoming apparent… a little cheesed off.
screamed and jumped out of their seats too “Alien was made because Star Wars had put
[laughs]. That memory is still seared into my brain genre movies – with big budgets – back on the
as one of the greatest experiences of my career – map,” affirms Hill. “And we used to joke that we
and I knew then that this was a movie which would were more radical. We were The Rolling Stones or
stand the test of time.” The Doors to George Lucas and his Beatles. But
Released in July 1986 – during the highly when you become so successful that you lose that
competitive summer blockbuster season – Aliens counterculture ethos – and suddenly you are one of
went on to be the seventh biggest grossing film of the biggest hits of the year – where exactly do you
its year (and some of the movies which made more go next?”
moolah are nowhere near as well-remembered: Yep, that was going to be the challenge…

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 25

Alien 3

A l i e n C A S E F ILE S

Alien 3

ALIEN 3 Calum Waddell looks back at one of the most infamously

troubled threequels in sci-fi cinema...

B
y all accounts, Alien 3 should have
been one of the most successful
sequels of all time. At the close of
1986’s rip-roaring Aliens, Sigourney
Weaver’s Ripley, having defeated her
interplanetary acid-blooded adversaries,
retreated into a space pod bound for Earth
accompanied by her compatriots Bishop, Hicks
and Newt. All four characters were (seemingly)
put into a very safe cyber-sleep. The next
instalment, one assumed, would pick up shortly
thereafter – with the fabulous foursome awake,
and in fresh surroundings, pitted against a new
horde of hot-tempered Xenomorph menace.
Unfortunately, it was not to be.
With ex-music video helmer David Fincher
opting to take the franchise in an unexpectedly
dark and dingy direction – with a plot detailing
Ripley’s struggle for survival on an inauspicious
all-male prison-world – 1992’s would-be summer
blockbuster, Alien 3, was not what anyone
expected. Highlighting just one solitary space-
beast, and a group of gun-less victims, the often- Ripley (Sigourney
meandering movie could not be further removed Weaver) is soon
from the “gung-ho”, blood-pumping bullet ballet shorn of her locks.
that propelled its immediate predecessor into a
IMAGES © REX FEATURES (2)

pop culture phenomenon.

“highlighting just one space-beast, the

Moreover, with Ripley’s group massacred
during a crash-landing, Alien 3 tied itself into
a “one-woman” show – although even sci-fi’s

movie couldn’t be further from aliens ”

most formidable female, who finds herself
impregnated with a stomach-burster of her
own, would fail to make it to the end of the

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 Alien 3

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 27

Alien 3

David Fincher loathed

the film he directed.

claustrophobic epic. Talk about

conclusive. And depressing.
Of course, Alien 3 is also well
known for its behind-the-scenes
WHAT FINCHER
battles and its rushed production
schedule. Fincher himself was not
even the studio’s first choice as
really THINKS
director – Renny Harlin was originally Beginning his career working at ILM,
attached (he quit to make Die Hard 2 Fincher found his calling as part of the MTV
instead) and Ridley Scott was offered generation, directing music videos for the likes
the opportunity to make a return (in of Madonna (including “Express Yourself”
retrospect, it probably would have and “Vogue”) and Michael Jackson (for “Who
been a better option than Prometheus). Is It?”). At 28 years of age, Alien 3 was his
Numerous script rewrites later and first feature film – although Fincher has since
Fincher was finally brought onboard gone on record to admit that, “No one hated
with, reportedly, only five weeks of it more than me.” In a recent interview
prep time. with BBC journalist Mark Burman, screen was quite removed from what was in the
Initially, the plan was to concentrate the filmmaker opened up further, script. But, with that said, I don’t regret that I was a
on Michael Biehn’s Hicks character – revealing that, “I think audiences part of it. I mean, I knew going into Alien 3 that this
with Weaver taking a back seat to the find it pretentious and was a big franchise picture – and there are a lot of
action. When this idea was scrapped, ponderous and resent the fact cooks in the kitchen on these things.”
later screenplays were commissioned it’s not a scary-scare movie. It’s
– including an aliens-on-Earth option a queasy-scare movie.” In other ripley’s mate
courtesy of Eric Red (who had penned words: that long dreamed-of As well as the lack of firepower, and the minimalist
the popular vampire potboiler Near Alien 3 Blu-ray with Fincher approach to both story and surroundings, another
Dark) to the now-legendary wooden- commentary track is going to unique element of Alien 3 comes from the fact that
monastery planet take instigated by have to wait. Ripley is offered a love interest – in the form of
Vincent Ward (who obtained a credit Dance’s attractively accented medical doctor
for “story” on the final flick). Finally, Clemens. Frequently forgotten about in
though, original Alien creators Walter Hill and various retrospectives on Alien 3 is the
David Giler were brought in, alongside Highlander fact that this is the sole entry in the series
scripter Larry Ferguson, to form the film that in which Weaver actually gets to become
became Alien 3 – although Fincher and his own carnally involved with a member of the
pen-man, Rex Pickett, would do a further rejig as opposite sex. Alas, effectively adding to
shooting was about to commence. the feature’s downbeat dystopia, even
“My friend and partner, David Giler, and I Dance is destroyed midway into the
worked on the story for Alien 3,” states Hill when movie – falling prey, post-coitus no less,
SFX catches up with him. “But let’s just say that we to the toothy title terror.
had some ‘philosophical differences’ in regards to “I did think it was a pity that the only
how the series was being developed. Since Alien 3 character Ripley ever had any kind of
we have had no connection to the franchise other relationship with was killed off a little
than being credited as creating the characters.” bit early,” reflects the actor. “It was not
At least one thing Alien 3 does have in its favour is a very fair. I would have liked to have
strong cast of reliable British thespians – including stayed alive for a bit longer. However,
Brian Glover, future Doctor Who Paul McGann film is a director’s medium, not an
and Charles Dance, who is quick to admit that the actor’s medium. It’s up to me to make
making of the movie was a less-than-pleasurable the movie that the director wants.
experience for those involved... Now, and I need to stress this, any
“Well, look, it wasn’t a nightmare, despite what problems I had with the making of
you may have read or heard elsewhere,” begins Alien 3 had nothing to do with David
Dance when SFX sits down with him. “But it Fincher. In fact, the minute David
certainly wasn’t an easy shoot. What was on the Fincher first walked onto the set I

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 Alien 3

A rare “Alien-like”
scene from Alien 3.

it was okay. I have never gone back and watched it

again but I have heard about the ‘longer’ version
that is now out there. I can’t comment on that,
though, because I never saw it.”
If anything, audiences
were turned off by the bad response
film’s ickiness. Indeed, despite a frosty fan reaction, mixed
reviews and disappointing box office results,
Alien 3 has since gone on to be seen, by some, as
thought, ‘My god, this guy is going to go far.’ He was According to Hill, though, giving too much a bold and fittingly fiery end to the franchise – to
fantastic – and I hope that I get to work with David Freudian thought to this tale of torrid parentage is the extent that a reassembled, and decidedly
again at some point. He was dealing with a lot of best approached with caution. superior, “director’s cut” was later offered to fans
outside interference on that movie.” “You would really need to explain some of that as an accompaniment to the theatrical version
Nevertheless, at least one thing was evident stuff to me,” he chuckles. “Listen, I once made a (unfortunately Fincher refused to be involved).
as shooting on Alien 3 got underway – this was wise ass remark. It was about 25 years ago and I Furthermore, as time has passed, one does need to
not going to be the sort of special effects laden have never had so many letters in my life. I said question what the alternative to the Alien 3 we now
supernova that Aliens had been. something about psychoanalysis – basically that it know (and perhaps love) would have been: a Ripley
“I was pleased with that actually,” admits Dance. is astrology for intellectuals, and I got about 200 and co romp in which Weaver and pals are pitted
“I didn’t go back and watch the other two films letters scolding me. Everybody has to make a living, against sundry space-fiends in sequel after sequel?
before Alien 3 – however, I did see Alien when it though, and some people have obviously decided A “teenage angst” tale focusing on the puberty-
perils of Newt? A cloned Ripley who can shoot

“ONe thing was evident – this was not

basketballs with the best of them and breed out
alien offspring? Oh hang on, they tried that...
“I was, and am, surprised that the franchise
kept going,” admits Hill. “When we did Alien all

going to be a special effects supernova” we wanted to do was to bring a more sophisticated

style of filmmaking to what had always been
regarded as a B-picture. I always thought that if you
first came out and I remembered it fondly. On the they can make living out of writing that stuff on did that you would have a commercially rewarding
other hand, I didn’t think Aliens was very good. To the Alien films. But that is not the business I am endeavour. But who knew that approach would
me, it was not a very good story – it was just a lot in. All I know is that we just wanted to make good lead to the Hollywood you have now, where more
of people firing guns all over the place. What got scary movies. Maybe some stuff got snuck in there serious dramatic films have been squeezed out by
me excited about the third film was that they toned without me realising, who knows?” that B-movie approach. The fact that our monster
that down. But what ended up on the screen was a Regardless of one’s take on Alien 3, when the movie contributed to the loss of a wider approach
different animal than what was on the page.” troubled extraterrestrial opus finally wrapped to filmmaking is, in a way, quite sad.”
For some, part of the interest of the franchise (with Fincher disassociating himself from the final Such a pessimistic statement seems entirely
comes from the underlying elements of maternal product and choosing not to involve himself in the fitting for a feature on sci-fi’s most famous feel-bad
IMAGES © REX FEATURES (3), BFI (1)

malevolence and gender-subversion, from a male post-production) it had to be obvious to the series’ follow-up. Even so, we would wager that few would
giving birth to the penetrative-parent alien. You can studio, Fox, that this eagerly anticipated third argue that, in the grand scale of studio sequels, it’s
see Alien 3 as extending these intriguing elements, offering was not going to be an audience pleaser. unlikely that anyone will ever again dare to destroy
with Ripley forced to dominate a group of males, “I didn’t honestly think about that,” shrugs a potent celluloid property like David Fincher did
and in the process masculinising herself (witness Dance. “That is up to other people to consider. I with Alien 3.
that shaved head), before dying in the midst of had no idea how people who loved Aliens would For that reason alone, we can but admire the
giving birth to a beast that she, understandably, receive it. I did go and see Alien 3 at the cinema decisions – however mad – that led to this most
does not want to introduce to the world. when it came out and I thought it was okay. Yeah, unlikely of threequels.

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 29

Alien: resurrection

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 Alien: resurrection

A l i e n C A S E F ILE S

Alien: resurrection

ALIEN
resurrection Few fans of the Alien franchise thought that Sigourney Weaver
would make another stand as her most famous character. However,
in 1997 all that changed. Calum Waddell looks back at
Alien: Resurrection – one of the strangest sequels ever

D
espite perceived wisdom, Alien 3 was Critically damaged the franchise may have the inherent moral qualms as well as the scientific
not a flop. The film’s worldwide gross been but, come the late 1990s, Ripley was down possibilities of the practice – had been hogging
of almost $160 million (on a budget of but not out. As such, when a hot rising talent by the headlines. In 1996, Dolly the Sheep, the first
$50 million) was in line with the rest of the name of Joss Whedon signed on to pen a new sentient genetic copy to emerge from a laboratory,
the series and, while the movie failed Alien script, Weaver became interested in once became an overnight celebrity – and was beamed
to top the charts in the United States, it again battling a horde of ferocious space-beasts. into television sets worldwide. In the process, the
made it to the front of the UK box office for three However, there was a catch. And it was a rather new Alien movie was born.
consecutive weeks. This impressive performance big one. Ripley was dead. “The question was, ‘Where do you go next?’”
was repeated in other parts of the world – reflects Alec Gillis, who worked on the film’s
particularly throughout Europe – and even Clone Ranger special effects (having also contributed to the
when adjusted for inflation Alien 3 effectively Thankfully, Whedon had already come up with an previous two movies in the series). “I think Alien
equalled the $130 million theatrical gross of its idea that would focus on a cloned version of Newt 3 felt a little bit like a snuff flick in outer space.
predecessor. Couple this with video rental sales, – the little girl heroine of Aliens who had been It was a very dark and grim film. So with Alien:
during the booming days of VHS, and black ink unceremoniously offed in Alien 3. This was the Resurrection, when they brought in a guy like
was doubtlessly flowing at Fox Towers. era in which the subject of cloning – in particular Jean-Pierre Jeunet who has an absurd and light-

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Alien: resurrection

Special alien skills

#5: being a complete
badass at basketball.

“I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE IT PLAY OUT

AS A VERY SERIOUS MONSTER MOVIE” Death becomes her:
hearted personality, you had an immediate comedic Ripley is stronger
sensibility to the movie. But, of course, it is a fine than ever before.
line: is this going to be the correct approach for a
sci-fi/horror picture?”
While Whedon would later disown Alien:
Resurrection – claiming that the spirit and tone
of his screenplay had been damaged by Jeunet’s
over-the-top directorial approach – it should
be maintained that the writer was already onto
a losing battle. Indeed, as soon as Weaver took
that leap into a furnace at the close of Alien 3, any
attempt at recreating the character was going to
find itself straddling a very fine line between sci-fi
and sci-farce…
“I would have liked to see Alien: Resurrection
play out as a very serious monster movie,” says
famously creepy actor Brad Dourif (Dune, Lord Of
The Rings, The Exorcist III, voice of Chucky from
Child’s Play) who appears in Alien: Resurrection
as the ill-fated scientist Dr Gediman. “But instead
you had the cloning idea and Ripley’s relationship
with this female android. I think that maybe, in the
end, it was just too soft. However, Jean-Pierre and
Sigourney were great to work with and they were – which mixes infant kidnapping with whimsical
very serious about making an exciting new sequel.” fantasy and quirky cinematography. Nevertheless,
Jeunet managed to bag the Alien: Resurrection gig
The French Connection over the likes of such rising talents as Danny Boyle,
Arthouse regulars were already familiar with the Peter Jackson and future X-Men franchise helmer
eclectic oeuvre of Jeunet. His breakout debut, Bryan Singer.
Delicatessen (1991), served-up a post-apocalyptic In doing so, one thing was clear: the fourth film
farce in which food is so scarce that one butcher in the xenomorph mythology was going to be unlike
turns to human meat as his speciality palette. As anything that came before it…
nightmarish as this sounds (a bit like Leatherface “My first time in Hollywood was when I visited
meets Terry Gilliam), Jeunet’s execution is so the set for Steven Spielberg’s film Hook,” mentions
Pythonesque, and colourfully stylish, that any Jeunet. “It was a bad movie but the set was amazing
Dominique Pinon
plays one of the few potential horror is quickly replaced by outright [laughs]. And right there I heard a voice in my head.
likeable characters. slapstick comedy. The same approach typifies his It said, ‘Jean-Pierre, one day you will stand here in
follow-up film – The City Of Lost Children (1995) America and direct a big film.’ I am someone who

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 Alien: resurrection

Whatever
Happened to
Alien 5?
According to Alec Gillis, Alien 5 was on the cards
even when Alien Vs Predator made its theatrical
debut in 2004. “No one, I don’t think, was thinking,
‘Okay, that is the fifth Alien film,’” he explains. “I
believe the intention was still to develop the next
Alien movie.”
In addition, Whedon had originally thrown out
his final act for Resurrection – which had Ripley
taking the fight to her acid-blooded nemesis on
Earth. This premise was to form the basis of Alien 5
– although Weaver was less than taken, as she
explained whilst doing press for the franchise’s
Blu-ray release back in 2010.
“We were thinking about doing the fifth one,
and I didn’t really want to go ahead and do it on
Earth,” maintains the actress. “So we kind of left
the sentence unfinished. There’s something slightly
unfinished to me about it. I wasn’t too keen to
come to Earth. I wanted to go back to the original
planet that the space jockey brought the eggs from
and go back into the alien world – rather than have
the alien arrive in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.”
Consequently, Alien 5 was swapped with Alien
See, you can tell Ripley’s
a bit alieny now cos of Vs Predator. However, earlier this year none other
her black fingernails. than James Cameron revealed, in an interview with
fans on Reddit, that he had been interested in
producing a new Ridley Scott-helmed sequel. The
would feel if they went to the cinema and no one concept got far enough to bring Cameron into a
was watching their latest movie. It is important to meeting with some top brass at Fox: “We had
be commercial and that was another reason why lunch talking about this, and we were in violent
Alien: Resurrection was so tempting.” agreement, then nothing happened,” he claims.
“Fox went ahead with Aliens Vs Predator, and I
Space Pirates said, ‘I really don’t recommend that, you’ll ruin the
Set 2,000 years after the events of Alien 3, franchise. It’s like Universal doing Dracula versus
the fourth film has a strand of Ripley’s DNA the Werewolf.’ And then I lost interest in doing an
exhaustively recreated so that the extraterrestrial Alien film.”
terror that found itself inside her stomach can However, lest Alien fanboys yearn for what
also be brought back from extinction. Predictably, could-have-been, consider this: Cameron also
this is so that the creature can be cultivated for enthuses about a team up between Ripley and
military purposes (an ongoing plot point since Arnold Schwarzenegger – an idea that sounds even
Scott’s Alien). Ripley, who now boasts acid blood worse than AVP: Requiem. Furthermore, in the
and superhuman powers, retains memories from wake of Scott’s less-than-classic Prometheus,
her past life and quickly senses what the scientists perhaps any such belated sequel would only have
on her new home (a drab spaceship called the USM ended up as the proverbial fifth wheel…
Auriga) are planning to do. Meanwhile, a band of
morally ambiguous space pirates – including an
Call (Winona Ryder) was
tipped as a potential androgynous android called Call (Winona Ryder) –
Ripley replacement. arrive to traffic some human lab specimens.
Of course, as Ripley predicts, a new group of
recently hatched, acid-blooded and hyper-vicious
believes in fate so when I got the call to do Alien: aliens find a way to escape from their pen and,
Resurrection that was what I felt it was. inevitably, start to massacre the inhabitants…
“So I could never say no. I thought, ‘Okay, so that “I am a big fan of Alien and Aliens,” continues
voice in my head was correct and now I have to do Dourif. “In fact, I think that they are two of the
this.’ I had not had a lot of success with The City Of most terrifying movies ever made. So I think with
Lost Children and I wanted to do something people Alien: Resurrection, coming so soon after Alien 3, we
would definitely see. If a filmmaker says they are really needed to do something a little harder-edged.
not interested in being popular I ask them how they I don’t know if the new elements they introduced

“I THINK WITH ALIEN: RESURRECTION WE Ripley joins forces with

NEEDED TO SOMETHING HARDER-EDGED”

a gang of unlikeable
space pricks.

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Alien: resurrection
At work on the
grotesque alien
hive set.

The aliens were a

mixture of guys in
suits, models and CGI.

to the series benefited what it needed to be – which Alien: Resurrection I made it funny. Maybe people
was an edge-of-your-seat and very scary monster expected it to be a horror film, I don’t know, but I
movie. But I think that probably goes back to how it can’t make something like that… ”
was written.”
Interestingly, though, what few reviewers have Mad Designs
picked up on is that the Alien franchise can be quite On the plus side, Alien: Resurrection at least
easily split down the middle. If the first film is a provides some delirious aesthetic treats. For
“haunted house horror movie” (but in outer space) a start, the interplanetary antagonists look as
and the second is an outright action epic – but with lethal as ever (and positively drip with slime and
creature feature overtones – then the same is true slobber). In addition, Dourif’s science lab is a
of parts three and four. Think about it: Alien 3 holes nightmarish throwback to the “mad professor”
up Weaver and company in a derelict prison and movies of yesteryear – while the sight of Weaver
knocks them off one-by-one in increasingly icky destroying her own humanoid-alien offspring is
ways. As dark as it was, this was an Alien movie so unapologetically trashy – and tasteless – that it
crossed with a Friday The 13th flick – and it was an actually becomes strangely admirable…
honest attempt to return to the slasher-suspense “It was a fun film to make,” says Gillis. “And we
of Scott’s original. Resurrection, however, with its had the resources to do some pretty cool special
story of Ripley ganging up with a heavily-armed effects in that movie. For instance, Jean-Pierre
group of renegades, attempts to return to the thrills came to us and said that he didn’t like the look of
and spills of Aliens – including an underwater chase the eggs in Alien and Aliens. He felt they were too
sequence, extensive shoot-outs and tough talking, mechanical in their appearance and he wanted
but ill-prepared, macho-militia. something that he described as having ‘more
Unfortunately, with his use of crash zooms, articulation’. So that was an interesting experiment
intrusive close-ups and cartoonish comedy (almost [laughs]. He also wanted all sorts of designs for the
every kill ends with a “gag” of some sort), Jeunet failed Ripley clones – the more surreal the better.
compromises any chance that Alien: Resurrection There were plenty of great opportunities to be
has to pick up its pace and deliver some seriously inventive on Alien: Resurrection.”
scary moments. Pivotal to Alien: Resurrection, of course, is
He won’t have that
smug grin in a few “The thing is this: I hate horror movies,” admits Weaver herself. Having changed in each of the
minutes time... the director. “I despise them. I could never make previous films, Ripley is now also physically
a film that is dark and bloody. So when I did removed from her previous incarnation. For some
viewers this was a tough pill to swallow: Weaver
was back onscreen but this was not the same Ellen

“i hate horror movies. i despise them. Ripley. Even so, and especially when compared
to the horrendously miscast Winona Ryder
(Resurrection’s weakest acting link), Weaver is in

i could never make a film that is dark. fine form and seems to be having a blast. Moreover,
regardless of what one feels about the final film,
the fact that Ripley does arrive on Earth at the end,

so i made alien: resurrection funny.” albeit genetically crossed with the very species she
fought to the death with, is obviously poetic…

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 Alien: resurrection

Jeunet insisted on Jeunet found rather

a slightly revised more critical success
design for the eggs. with Amélie.

“She thoroughly commits to the character,” says

Gillis. “Having watched her in three Alien movies
– she puts everything into that role. There is one
scene where we see her, as a failed clone, with this
gruesome articulated body attached to her. She
really wanted to look horrible for that scene – to
help and drive home the revulsion that Ripley
would feel when she saw this – and she didn’t mind
spending time stuck in this contraption we built. I
think that moment, which is truly nightmarish, is
an image that is worthy of any Alien film.”

No Resurrection At The Box Office

Released in the winter period of 1997, Alien:
Resurrection – the priciest of the series so far with
an estimated budget of approximately $75 million –
was also the least successful in its home nation with
a US gross of just under $50 million. As with Alien
3, though, the worldwide gains for Resurrection
were more impressive: in the end, the movie’s total
Several pieces of
theatrical run netted $160 million. Those numbers the vast alien nest
are not indicative of an outright failure, but for a are assembled.
film with a blockbuster budget, the third sequel had
to be considered a disappointing investment.
Ripley, it seemed, had exhausted her stay on the unconvincing early CGI, Alien: Resurrection has when to stop!’ It was supposed to be scary. I know
silver screen… never quite been reappraised. However, Jeunet’s that. Perhaps some scenes were too silly, I don’t
“It is a shame that Resurrection wasn’t a bigger colour palette – all grungy greens and warm know. But you have to do your own thing when you
hit,” bemoans Gillis. “I would loved to have seen primary shades – creates a steampunk, sweaty make a film and that is what I did with this. There
a fifth Alien movie with Sigourney. I think there atmosphere and, while the picture is not on a par are also things I enjoy in there and which are quite
was room to take the franchise in a left-field, with the first two Alien movies, it is at least better personal – such as the crazy group of characters we
exciting and unexpected direction – you know, paced, and far less boring, than Fincher’s threequel. created. I love films with freaks. It’s very touching
maybe we could expand on the fourth film and play Taken as more of a schlock send-up of the series, to me. Straightforward people don’t give you much
around with what the alien has now become. Is it a Jeunet’s sci-fi fright-flick is not a complete wash- to play with. However, all of my movies touch on
humanoid? What would happen if they landed on out – indeed, its real failure comes from the fact it fate and Alien: Resurrection is the same. Ripley’s
Earth? We got to explore some of that in the last is called Alien: Resurrection. This titular promise fate is to finally come home to Earth.”
Alien Vs Predator movie but, otherwise, that could of a return to form (immediately evoking Scott and Touching as its finale may have been,
be something new.” Cameron) is, sadly, never capitalised upon. Resurrection proved to be ironically named.
Criticised for its use of outlandish personalities “Just recently I saw Alien: Resurrection again on Weaver’s attempt to refresh Ripley was
(including a mugging Ron Perlman, Dourif in pure French television,” reveals Jeunet. “I was sitting unexpectedly conclusive. And the future for her
“comic book villain” mode and the eccentric French there thinking to myself, ‘Oh no, no, no – you put in xenomorph adversaries lay in battling something
character actor Dominique Pinon), and some far too many jokes. It is too much. You did not know rather less human…

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 BEHIND
THE MASK
As well as being a highly respected effects wizard, Tom Woodruff stepped into
the alien suit for four films. Calum Waddell caught up with him to discuss life as
a xeno – and the controversial Alien Vs Predator movies

T
om Woodruff and Alec Gillis are the (for 1988’s gory chiller of the same name), the production he was once again called upon to play
twosome behind Amalgamated Dynamics well built 6’2” Woodruff Jr. was a natural fit for the film’s foremost otherworldly antagonist…
– a Hollywood-based special effects larger than life cinematic creations. Ultimately, “The alien suit is actually not so bad to wear,”
company that remains at the top of though, the erstwhile effects genius reached a he begins. “From the neck down it is made from
its trade (recent projects include Jack scary movie milestone when he was offered the foam latex – and that gives you a lot of flexibility.
The Giant Slayer and Ender’s Game). billing of “lead alien” in David Fincher’s much- The head is quite heavy – the jaw on that long
However, Woodruff also has a somewhat “secret” lambasted third entry in the iconic space-shock neck is quite tough and you certainly feel some
CV in portraying classic creatures (“Let’s not tell series. Following this up with another stint as pressure from that – but in general it is okay.
anyone” he jokes). Stepping into the costumes a xenomorph in Alien: Resurrection – Woodruff The greatest challenge of the suit is actually the
of the Creature from the Black Lagoon (for made such a mark as a slimy extraterrestrial tail – and that is because someone else, on the
1987’s The Monster Squad) and Pumpkinhead splatter-icon that when Alien Vs Predator began end of a wire, is moving that for you. So you don’t

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 Alien vs predator

image © The Kobal Collection (1)

A l i e n C A SE FILES

the Alien vs predator films

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Alien vs predator

AVP dared examine the

history of the Predators...

Look left, look

right, run the hell
away from the egg.

Woodruff was eager

to get back in the suit
despite the grue.

signalled the immediate future for the series… series – and then a year later Sigourney did a Direct
“We were enthusiastic about AVP,” admits TV commercial ad as Ripley. When I saw that I
Woodruff. “It was a big show and there was a lot of figured, ‘oh well, maybe we all sell out’ [laughs]”.
work to be done. It also allowed us to bite into the
Predator franchise and do a little bit there – not that ANDERSON’S ALIEN
How do you like your
eggs in the morning? we had the chance to redesign very much but there Also adding to fan concerns about AVP was
Probably not like this. was some flexibility. But, sure, there were some the choice of director for the project. Paul WS
hesitations. For instance, I remember I had read a Anderson had faced career death with his futuristic
review of Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection and the mega-flop Soldier (1998) but the British-born
have full control over your entire body – but you writer mentioned that Alec Gillis and I had taken filmmaker had bounced back with his zombie
need to make it look as if you do. The alien has to over the effects from Stan Winston. He had added, blockbuster Resident Evil (2002). Such monetary
seem as if it has strength in its lower legs – and ‘and it was a bit of a bum deal for them because they success is, ultimately, what Hollywood values most
that was especially true in AVP when it is going ended up doing the two rubbish movies’. So now, in its blockbuster auteurs – and, consequently,
into battle against a Predator. Of course, when you with AVP, I was thinking, ‘You know, I really hope Anderson was brought in to helm the latest Alien
have someone else moving the tail that can be quite people don’t think that we have gone from doing outing. However, the knives were out – Resident
tricky to express – so I found that I had to work the A-list version of these films to the B-movie Evil may have made money but critical and fan
that into my movements and make it seem as if I versions’. I wondered if it might tarnish us – or acclaim was minimal. Was this really the right
was moving with the tail when it was actually the if Sigourney might see us as sell-outs [laughs]. I man to follow in the illustrious footsteps of Scott,
other way around. But, to be honest, the alien is one remember one of my first days on the set of AVP, Cameron, Fincher and even the French arthouse
of the best character suits I have ever worn.” out in Prague, and we were doing some test shots. darling Jeunet?
I was in the alien suit and they were lighting me – “Paul certainly had his naysayers,” smiles
a controversial continuation and I noticed the colour tones, through the monitor, Woodruff. “His name was being talked about all
The announcement of AVP was controversial for that the cinematographer was using. The scene we over the internet by the fans of the Alien series –
fans of the franchise. Sigourney Weaver herself were prepping had this beautiful, warm sepia tone and often it was not in a very flattering context.
publicly decried the decision to swap girl-power for that David Fincher had done with Alien 3 – and I However, I really admired him – this guy had done
a grudge match – but, possibly inspired by the boffo got this really strange feeling of wanting to be back a lot of great stuff on very tight schedules and with
box office of 2003’s horror hybrid Freddy Vs Jason, with Sigourney. That stayed with me for a few limited resources. He also has a real love of these
the decision had been made. Ripley was out and days – and it was a bit weird. But I realised I was movies – so we knew that AVP was in good hands.”
a full-scale, comic book, head-to-head beat-down probably just a bit too emotionally connected to the Woodruff also maintains that Anderson knew
exactly what kind of tone he was looking for with
images © The Kobal Collection (2)

Alien Vs Predator…

“With AVP, i was thinking, ‘you know, I “He had his tech guys watching Frankenstein
Meets The Wolf Man,” reveals the artist. “He knew
what he wanted this film to be – he wanted it to

hope people don’t think we have done feel like a good old-fashioned monster movie. I
thought that approach was absolutely correct. After
four Alien movies you can’t surprise the audience

the b-movie versions of these movies’” so much any more – you can’t have more chest-
bursting and gore because we have done that so

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 Alien vs predator
Lance Henriksen made
his third appearance in
an Alien movie.

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Alien vs predator

AN ALIENABLE
EXPERIENCE
When Woodruff and Gillis took on the effects
reins of the Alien movies it was after years of
working with the late, great Stan Winston. Indeed,
Woodruff had served as the “creature effects
coordinator” on James Cameron’s 1986 sequel –
but it was on the troubled Alien 3 (which Winston
opted not to take part in) that the artist recalls
some of his most memorable franchise moments.
“Looking back, Alien 3 was actually pretty cool,”
he grins, aware of the film’s tortuous path to the
big screen. “There was so much mayhem going on
behind the scenes that I thought it was an exciting
movie to make. It was just fun to be right in the
middle of it all. We were never really confidants of
David Fincher – but the fact that we were some of
the very few Americans working in London with
him, in the middle of the British film industry, sort
of brought us together. The British film industry
didn’t tend to look well on young people – at that
time they only really respected you if you had been
around for a while. I remember David called us
over to look at some of the practical effects that
the British crew had built – just some dummy
bodies and stuff. So we went over and you could
tell there was tension on the set that day. Fincher
image © The Kobal Collection (1)

was standing by himself and he had just had a big

blow up with the British crew. He turned to us and
said, ‘Hey – can you two guys just make this look
better? You know… maybe you can just
Americanise it or something’ [laughs].
“Everyone went silent but you could tell the
agitation of everyone that was there. We let those
conflicts play out and tried not to get involved but
it was definitely a tense shoot.” many times the shock isn’t there. You need to find With a worldwide gross of just over $172
something new and fresh – and I think it was a wise million, on a budget of $60 million (less than
decision to go down the PG-13 route with AVP. Alien: Resurrection had cost seven years earlier),
Don’t get me wrong – I love really scary R-rated AVP signalled that audience interest was ripe for a
movies – but I think there is something to be said follow-up film. Unfortunately, 2007’s AVP: Requiem
about a good fun PG-13 creature flick. There is a – directed by Greg and Colin Strause (who went
huge audience out there for that. AVP showed that.” on to call the shots on 2010’s irredeemable sci-fi
shocker Skyline) – was probably not what even the
surprise success most enthusiastic fan of interplanetary fiend-fights
Perhaps unsurprisingly, AVP gained generally had in mind…
negative critical notices. However, from a fan “To me the biggest fault of AVP: Requiem is
perspective, the presence of Lance Henriksen that it is so damn dark,” bemoans Woodruff. “It
(portraying the “real” Charles Bishop Weyland) was hard to see what was going on in that film. I
provided the PG-13 rated potboiler with enough don’t know why it came out like that. By the time
DNA from its predecessors to feel canonical. we were making the movie it was the era where
Moreover, with the somewhat successful sitting together, as a crew, at the end of the day, and
introduction and integration of the Predator watching the dailies was a thing of the past. I did
mythology, Anderson’s offering is, at the very least, see a couple of shots during the making of the film
rarely dull. – but they were just projected onto an HD monitor.
The greatest compliment, however, came from They had a really good DP and cinematographer on
a certain James Cameron who intoned, “It was AVP: Requiem – so I don’t know why it looked the
actually pretty good. When I think of the five Alien way it did.”
films, I’d rate it third. I actually liked it. I actually
liked it a lot.” CrashING BACK DOWN TO EARTH
“That was so cool,” affirms Woodruff. “James As well as supervising the special effects, Woodruff
Cameron is an amazing director and I know that once again got to play a drooling space-demon for
first-hand from working with him. I think he AVP: Requiem, but this time around his enthusiasm
understood there were more audience-pleasing was a little more lacklustre in regards to the
elements to AVP than there were in Alien 3 and direction of the series…
Resurrection. I really did like AVP – and I think Paul “I thought it wasn’t such a good idea to put the
took on a massive challenge with that movie. It’s aliens on Earth,” he says. “I know Paul Anderson
“Sorry mate, do you
know how to turn tough to step into a big franchise like Alien and try did it in the first film but we were in the Antarctic.
the shower on?” to please everybody. Even when Ridley came back It was such a remote place it still felt like a sci-fi
and went off on his Prometheus tangent – it was not environment. In AVP: Requiem they were placed in
the fan pleasing film everyone was expecting.” a small American town. Given how important the

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 Alien vs predator

Despite the poor

script, the effects
remained excellent.

Predalien vs Predator.
Oh honestly, Requiem
was a load of old bum.

arc of Ripley returning to Earth was – right down

to her wish to see her daughter in Aliens – I don’t
think we should have rushed into aliens running
around the neighbourhood. AVP is supposed to be
in the same world as the Ripley story – and maybe
that had been forgotten with the sequel, I don’t
know. There were also some performances that
weren’t so great – just a few elements that didn’t
quite work.”
In the same breath, though, Woodruff does
admit that he was pleased to still be stepping into
an alien suit in the morning…
“I love having the final say on bringing these
things to life,” he mentions. “I know the director
is calling the shots and the cinematographer is
going to light everything in a certain way, but just
in terms of the performance and character – I get
to control that. To me, those are the best days on
the set – knowing that I am going to be an alien
[laughs]. I feel quite protective about it – when we
work on an Alien movie I hope to be cast as well.
You always read about actors who want to hang
The Predalien attacking
a pregnant woman felt onto a special part across various sequels. In my
cheap and nasty. mind I always think, ‘Yeah, sure you do – your ego
demands that’ but with Alien it’s nothing to do

“i love having the final say on bringing

these things to life. performance and A proper alien goes to

character – i get to control that”

work on one of Requiem’s
forgettable cast.

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Alien vs predator

The AVP continuity was

overwritten by Ridley
Scott’s Prometheus.

Two iconic villains Woodruff was

face each other against bringing
once more. the aliens to Earth.

with that. I am not the star – I am not a name actor – and that was Ripley. I think the Alien series is
A rare moment in Requiem
where you could actually – I just really love bringing that character to life.” Sigourney’s story.”
see what was happening. AVP: Requiem signalled the conclusion for Recently, Weaver herself has been outspoken
this brief chapter in the Alien universe. With the about wanting to sign on for a conclusive Alien 5.
sequel seemingly hurried out in the wake of the Given the dedication that Ridley Scott has to his
commercial success of its predecessor, the critical Prometheus universe this seems unlikely – but
feedback was scathing. Unable to please fans of the Woodruff also ascertains that a final fling for
first AVP – or the wider audience of Ripley buffs everyone’s favourite space-set Scream Queen would
who had stuck with the franchise through thick be high on his list of must-see movies…
and thin – this sixth spin on the razor-toothed “I think Alien 5 is still possible – but I am not
terror totem looked decidedly tired. The future holding my breath,” he chuckles. “I really want to
was bleak for any further entries. see it though – and I even came up with my own
“The Alien series has obviously gone through its idea for it. I’m not just saying this but I have a
highs and lows,” says Woodruff. “I am glad that I brilliant idea – honestly, I can look at it emotionally
have never read that our creature effects are bad detached, and I think it would be a great fan-
[laughs] – usually it’s complaints about the stories pleasing film. But it all comes down to Twentieth
and, on occasion, some of the films have not been Century Fox and Sigourney – and I know she says
what people wanted or expected. Our hearts have she wants to do another Alien movie so I hope that
been 100% in every single one of these movies. can happen. For all the things that have or have not
But, to me, I think the AVP films lost something worked in the original Alien movies – and by that
I mean the first four films – we have established
this linear storyline. I think everyone has been

“our hearts have been 100% in each of waiting to see what happens after Resurrection.
Ripley is left hovering above Earth – and I think
there should be a final instalment. We need to know

these movies, But I think the avp films what happens next. And as the actress and star of
that world, I am sure Sigourney also wants to see a
satisfying end to that story.

lost something – and that was ripley” “Besides – I’ve become very fond of that alien
costume!”

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prometheus

Isn’t It About Time you gave

prometheus
another chance?
Is it a bold reinvention of the mythos? A confused mess?
Or both? Jordan Farley goes poking at space snakes

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 prometheus

A l ie n C A S E F I L E S

PROMETHEUS

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 45

prometheus

EVIDENCE #1 The ship’s basketball

game fell foul of some
green goo.

Why is Guy
Pearce In
Prometheus?
Wondering why Ridley Scott cast Guy Pearce as
seemingly the world’s oldest man in Prometheus?
Pearce explains all: “No, we didn’t end up shooting
[the scene of Weyland as a young man]. We got
close to shooting it, and as we got closer, Ridley
just started to see it as something that would just
be a little distracting, almost. And funnily enough,
there was this sort of marketing idea from the
outset that we would do Peter Weyland giving this Case for the Defence: “Your honour, my the Engineers created human life, as Prometheus
TED lecture, and it was kind of funny that that learned colleague, ladies and gentlemen of the claims, how come they suddenly want to kill us all
ended up taking precedence over what was in the court, Prometheus is not a good film…” now? And if humans share the same DNA as the
movie. So, yeah, I guess in the end, they could have Case for the Prosecution: “Hang on, Engineers how do you explain all the other forms
cast an older actor.” slagging off Prometheus is my job!” of life on Earth that don’t share the same DNA as
Defence: “If you’d please let me finish. Now, humans and Engineers?”
where was I…? Oh yes, Prometheus is not a good Defence: “Why the Engineers turn on their
film, but it is an interesting one.” creation is a question the film largely leaves open
Prosecution: “Interesting like a multi-car for the sequel, but more or less answers anyway.
pile-up?” Look at how Holloway, a seemingly reasonable

“it dares to ask big, philosophical

questions in an r-rated horror movie”
Defence: “Don’t make me come over there and and intelligent chap, behaves towards David – with
throttle you with that wig… It’s interesting because utter disdain and intolerance. David is a lower form
it dares to ask big, philosophical questions. In a of life to the humans, just as the humans are a lower
$130 million, R-rated horror movie no less.” form of life to the Engineers.”
Prosecution: “It’s a shame that the first Prosecution: “Alright, but what about the
question they asked wasn’t, ‘How can we make this DNA problem?”
film less dumb?’” Defence: “Shut up, that’s what.”
Defence: “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. ‘Where Prosecution: “Well, that’s professional.”
did we come from?’ is an ambitious theme to be Defence: “Prometheus is also a beautiful film,
tackling in a popcorn blockbuster and Prometheus filled with awe-inspiring vistas, incredible sets,
presents a fascinating, hard sci-fi explanation that gorgeous cinematography and astonishing CGI. In
does a really good job of tying the Engineers to the short, it looks stunning.”
origins of humanity.” Prosecution: “Yeah, but Guy Pearce’s Old
Prosecution: “You say ‘really good job’, but if Man Weyland make-up looks like a pound shop

Translates as: “No, Fifield: he likes tattoos

seriously, this and agro, but what he
planet is rubbish.” really loves is rocks.

46 SFX presents Horror Subscribe at www.sfx.co.uk/subscriptions

 prometheus

The film’s science

fiction imagery was
undeniably beautiful.

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 47

prometheus

EVIDENCE #2
Why does
Millburn touch
the worm?
Wondering why Millburn, a biologist, runs away
For goodness sake,
remember to wash
from a headless, 2,000 year old alien body ripe for your hands after.
study but decides to snuggle up to a space cobra
clearly ready to strike? Ridley Scott answers this
very question on the commentary track. “It’s a guy How do you feel
who is an entomologist, [meaning] small creatures about fish for
and insects. This is the first real violent piece of the dinner tonight, Liz?
film. I think people aren’t suspecting what can
happen from such a small slender object as that.”
So, professional curiosity then. Still doesn’t explain
his lack of common sense.

Halloween mask. Why not just hire an actor of mission without knowing what it is? Why does
appropriate age?” Holloway take his helmet off in the Engineers’
Defence: “There was originally a dream pyramid – an environment that could have been
sequence with young Weyland in the script that full of undetectable space diseases? How does
got cut. Plus it meant they could do that brilliant Fifield, a geologist, get lost in the pyramid despite
Go easy dude,
that’s a really TED talk advert (see Evidence Box 1). In fact, the having access to a comprehensive 3D map and
big straw... marketing for Prometheus was brilliant from the remaining in constant radio contact with the
start. All those fake posters, the viral videos, and Prometheus? Why does Millburn touch a CLEARLY
that first teaser with the Inception horns is still one DANGEROUS alien life form despite running away
of the all-time great trailers.” from a dead one hours earlier (see Evidence Box 2)?
Prosecution: “You mean the marketing that Why did Janek open the door for zombie Fifield?
Fifield falls victim of
Red Dwarf ’s Space gave away every single plot beat in the entire Why doesn’t Shaw kill her alien baby rather than
Mumps. Nasty. film? There was even a poster that showed the simply decontaminating it? Why does no one blink
Prometheus crashing into the Engineer ship!” an eye when Shaw walks into Weyland’s room
Defence: “It wasn’t every plot beat. Just, covered in blood? Why did Weyland pretend he
you know, most of them. Anyway, the joy of any was dead? Why does Vickers indulge her father on
story isn’t the destination, it’s the journey. And a mission to the stars when she clearly hates him?
Prometheus’s journey is filled with wonderful Why are Shaw and Vickers only able to run in a
performances, especially Michael Fassbender who’s straight line when a giant spaceship is rolling after
unnervingly sinister, but oddly endearing as David.” them? And what kind of answers does Shaw think
Prosecution: “Fassbender is superb, granted. she’ll get by travelling to Paradise? She’ll be killed
And the only reason why we’d even consider going on sight!”
to see a Prometheus sequel. But the rest of the cast? Defence: “Alright I get the point. People behave
Dodgy accents all over the shop. Every character remarkably…”
is so thinly sketched out there’s no reason to care Prosecution: “I’m not done yet. The
about any of them. And for supposedly smart Engineers’ motivations don’t make a whole lot of
scientists on a trillion dollar mission there’s no sense either. Why does an Engineer have to kill
excuse that they are all so stupid.” himself to create life? Why can’t he just pour some
Defence: “How so?” goo into the water? Why did the Engineers leave
Prosecution: “Where to start? Why does maps all over Earth pointing to a weapons research
every member of the crew sign up for a four-year facility? Is the black goo different from the glowy
green goo? In the hologram flashback why did
they run to the room with all the deadly black goo

“the engineers’ motivations don’t make in it if they were trying to escape (see Evidence
Box 3)? Why does the Engineer chase after Shaw
rather than just leaving in one of the other ships on

a whole lot of sense either. why does an the planet and completing his mission? And why
have the Engineers created bio-weapons with such
a ludicrously complicated life-cycle in the first

engineer kill himself to create life?” place? What was wrong with the egg, facehugger,
chestburster, Alien cycle?”

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 prometheus

EVIDENCE #3
Why do the
Engineers flee
into the black
goo room?
If the Engineers are being chased by something
the black goo created in the hologram flashback,
why are they fleeing to the room where all the
black goo is stored? According to Scott: "He falls.
And we don't know yet, but a door dropped on his
head. So there was a trap door in there. They went
through that emergency exit." For creatures smart
enough to create life, the Engineers really need to
give more thought into where they put their
escape routes.

Frankly, Ikea’s 2089

furnishing selection leaves
a little to be desired.

This isn’t just any

old axe. It's a space
axe, dontcha know.

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prometheus

EVIDENCE #4
will there be
An Alien prequel
or not?
Jon Spaihts’ original script shared a much closer
connection to Alien than Damon Lindelof’s rewrite,
not least of which was setting the film on LV-426
and featuring a much more familiar foe.
“Essentially what I proposed to them was that the
movie didn’t need to lean as heavily on the Alien
tropes that we were all familiar with,” says Lindelof.
“Eggs, face-huggers, chest bursters, acid blood,
xenomorphs. I said that stuff can be a part of this
movie, but I don’t think it needs to be what the
movie’s about.”
The “Deacon”. A xeno –
but perhaps not the one
you were expecting.

One of the Space

Jockeys catches up
on Gogglebox.

Defence: “All very good points, but I’m afraid I’ll isn’t anywhere to be seen, for starters, just a daft-
“You there, don’t get your
hopes up for the sequel to have to refer you to my earlier response: ‘Shut up’.” looking precursor and an image on the wall in the
be much clearer.” Prosecution: “Objection! That’s the second black goo room. It’s set on LV-223, not LV-426
time he’s told me to shut up your honour.” for no discernable reason other than ‘We want to
Judge: “I’ll allow it, I want to see where this is make Prometheus 2 if this is successful’. Even the
going.” Engineer ship crashes, leaving a derelict on the
Defence: “Alien is a trashy b-movie that surface, but it’s not the derelict from Alien. What’s
transcends its origins because of the craft that the point?”
went into making it – Ridley Scott’s direction, Defence: “What’s the point in a prequel if you
Jerry Goldsmith’s score, HR Giger’s sensational know exactly how it’s going to end? Prometheus
creature design, the performances. Prometheus is adds a layer of mystery by making its story one step
significantly more ambitious than Alien ever was removed from what you already know.”
and is almost as well put together too. Plus it shares Prosecution: “Yeah, but scriptwriter
two of Alien’s best traits – a resourceful female Damon Lindelof has no idea how to construct a
heroine and a fascinating mythology. Whatever satisfying mystery. People are still obsessed with
your opinion about the latter it got a heck of a lot of Alien 35 years later because it didn’t answer some
people talking.” of its more interesting questions – who is the Space
Prosecution: “There’s some unquestionable Jockey? Where did he come from? Why was he
talent that went into the making of Prometheus, transporting a cargo full of eggs? Lindelof seems to
we’ll give you that. But there are fundamental decide which questions he’s going to answer
story problems that undermine everyone else’s and which ones he isn’t by tossing a coin. And
hard work. Not least of which is it can’t seem to then the answers he does give are rubbish while
make its mind up whether it wants to be an Alien the questions he leaves unanswered are
film or not (see Evidence Box 4). The xenomorph just frustrating.”
Defence: “There’s one thing Prometheus gets
spot on though. It takes one of the most important

“unquestionable talent went into themes from Alien – psychosexual body horror –
and gives it a phenomenal new spin. The surgery
sequence is one of the best scenes in the entire

making prometheus, but there are series, and is worth watching Prometheus
for alone. I’m not saying it doesn’t have its
problems but isn’t it about time you gave

story problems that undermine it” Prometheus another chance?”

Jury: “NO!”

50 SFX presents Horror

byzantium
Alien: isolation

alien:
isolation In games, no one can hear you scream as Jordan Farley
discovers from the developers of Alien: Isolation

T
here’s a very important missing letter in army of screeching xenos between you and your experience. But it just felt like there was a great
the name Alien: Isolation; a missing letter objective. They’re exciting, but are they scary? opportunity to do something… different.”
that’s as much mission statement as a In Alien: Isolation there is no pulse rifle (or
declaration that this is unlike any xeno- regular weapons of any kind, in fact) and there’s Lost In Space
starring game that’s come before. only one xenomorph in the entire game – an The work of veteran British developers
Give yourself a well-deserved pat on intelligent, terrifying, unstoppable killer that has Creative Assembly, Alien: Isolation is a survival
the back if you correctly identified the curious finally reclaimed its spot at the top of the food horror game entrenched in Ridley Scott’s 1979,
absence of an “s” at the end of Alien in that title. chain. And it’s coming for you... nightmare-inducing masterpiece. Set 15 years
It’s a letter that’s defined the last 28 years of “My problem with the games in the past is that after the mysterious disappearance of the
Alien games, almost all of which have taken their they have really focused on the James Cameron, Nostromo and its crew, Isolation stars Amanda
cues from James Cameron’s masterful ’86 sequel Vietnam in space, few-versus-the-many idea,” Ripley – the daughter of Ellen, previously
by putting a pulse rifle in your hands and an says creative lead Al Hope. “That can be a great glimpsed briefly in the Aliens Special Edition.

52 SFX presents Horror Subscribe at www.sfx.co.uk/subscriptions

 Alien:byzantium
isolation

A l i e n C A SE F I LES

Alien: isolation

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Alien: isolation

From top left: Everything

in the game is designed
with a ’70s retro-futurist
aesthetic in mind; Your
motion tracker is useful
– but no defence against
the nasty xeno; The alien
is true to HR Giger’s
original, elegant design;
The xenomorph can pop
up from anywhere when
you least expect it – and
will; The Sebastapol is
not a safe location, even
without a rampaging
monster on board; You
don’t have access to
weapons, but tools may
come in useful; Keep an
eye on your gadgets, but
don’t get distracted...

“We’re massive fans of the first film and we the few people who would care what happened and Fear Itself
wanted our game to be as closely positioned to would be motivated to not give up.” Survive is all Amanda can hope to achieve aboard
that film as possible to take advantage of that great Amanda’s journey into the heart of darkness the Sebastapol. Gadgets – including a trusty motion
look and feel,” Hope explains. “But we also wanted begins with the apparent discovery of the detector – can be built by scavenging for parts, but
something that had an emotional connection to Nostromo’s flight recorder. Weyland-Yutani, keen to their only effect is to temporarily reduce the chance
that first film, so we kicked around ideas and find out what happened to their $42 million dollar of Amanda’s brain matter making a swift exit from
kept coming back to, ‘Who would care that the vessel, sends Amanda and a small crew to retrieve her cranium. Her only hope: hide. The alien can
Nostromo went missing?’ the recorder from the Sebastapol – a remote space appear at any time while Amanda navigates the
“We had this amazing realisation that there’s station in the process of being decommissioned. Sebastapol’s hazardous corridors, and has been
a character whose story hadn’t been told. That in Once aboard Amanda is forced to confront the same programmed to be completely unpredictable,
Amanda we had Ellen Ripley’s daughter – one of horror that her mother faced 15 years earlier. something Hope says was key to making a creature
the world is intimately familiar with genuinely
scary again.

“WE WANTED OUR GAME TO BE AS CLOSELY “The unknown is a big part of horror for me.
Early on we realised that in order for the alien to
be scary we couldn’t have it running under any

POSITIONED TO ALIEN AS POSSIBLE TO TAKE proscribed path, we couldn’t allow the player to
learn what it’s going to do next. We realised that
we’d have to create an alien we could have appear

ADVANTAGE OF THE LOOK AND FEEL” in the world and use its senses to track you down.
That means every time you encounter the alien

54 SFX presents Horror Subscribe at www.sfx.co.uk/subscriptions

 Alien: isolation

it plays out differently as it reacts to what you themselves a rule: not to use or reference anything
do. Because of that you do get that sense of the created after 1979. “Although that sounds a little
unknown. It means every time you play you’re crazy it was actually really liberating,” says Hope.
playing it for the first time. “It meant we could really dive in with confidence
“When players could see the alien they’d be knowing that these are similar touch points the
scared because obviously they’re in immediate crew could have used back in the ’70s. hadn’t really even considered. The title sequence
danger. But we realised from the feedback when “The first phase of development was one of has this incredible low moaning, and this was
the alien isn’t on screen or on the motion tracker deconstruction, of looking at everything in the film the original recording of that with British sound
people found that equally scary because they didn’t and breaking it down to almost an atomic level, engineers shouting out the take numbers before.
have the information they needed to make their like building blocks. When we created new content We were fortunate enough to get hold of that and
next step. It’s a really fascinating balance between we could use those building blocks, so although it’s something we can add into the mix and make it
people being scared when he’s there because they it would be a new space that wasn’t actually in more authentic.
want him to go away but when he goes away they’re the film it would look and feel as if you’d turned “That reel has been sitting in a cardboard box
equally scared because they don’t know what to a different corner in the Nostromo this is where three floors underneath the Fox studio lot, almost
do!” You’ll end up constantly watching the shadows. you’d have ended up.” forgotten, and it’s really nice to be in a position to
That commitment to authenticity even extended put it back in front of an audience 35 years later
Source Code to the soundtrack. that will really appreciate it and give it a second life.
Alien: Isolation has been built from the ground “I managed to persuade someone at Fox to I think that’s kind of cool.”
up with an unequivocal adoration and respect for go down into the archive and they found an old
Ridley Scott’s horror opus. To perfectly recreate 8-inch reel. It was amazing. It was the sound Alien: Isolation releases on PS4, PS3, Xbox One,
Alien’s retro-future aesthetic Creative Assembly set effects underpinning some of the music, which I Xbox 360 and PC 7 in October 2014.

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 55

 Top 10

Supernatural DEATHS
Never a show to skimp on the blood, Supernatural has a (deserved)
reputation for pushing the limits of gore within its primetime TV slot.
Here are some of its grossest kills, recounted by Jayne Nelson
 Supernatural

10 Castiel
Exploding
“Swan Song”/“The Man Who Would Be King”
Poor Castiel has made a bit of a habit of
exploding since he met the Winchesters, first going
kablooie off-camera after facing off with Raphael
in the season four finale (someone later says that
Castiel popped “like a water balloon full of chunky
soup” – what a delightful image). Luckily, some
higher force was looking out for our trenchcoat-
wearing angel, as he was mysteriously resurrected
just in time for season five... only to explode again in
that season’s finale. Of all the luck! And it’s a truly
gross moment, too: a starburst of blood and gore that
hits bystander Bobby right in the kisser. It’s such a
cool special effect that it actually appears again, in
the episode “The Man Who Would Be King”, where We call this the
we see it in glorious super-slow motion as Castiel “pop shot”.
relives the moment.

Dean Vs
9 Hellhound
“No Rest For The Wicked”
After an entire season spent building up
to Dean’s death – which is your inevitable
fate when you make a crossroads deal
with a demon to bring your brother back
to life – “No Rest For The Wicked” didn’t
mess around when it came to depicting
the moment his payment came due.
“Mess” is quite an appropriate word, too,
as an invisible hellhound does indeed
make a right mess of Dean’s insides as it
rips him to shreds in front of Sam’s (and
our) horrified eyes. Kudos to Jensen
Ackles for selling what must have been
quite a complex scene to film so well; boy,
that guy can gurgle! Also, because said
hellhound is invisible, the clawmarks and
Dean really regretted slashes appear from nowhere as Dean
eating that curry. writhes in agony, successfully adding a
whole new level of “weird”.

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Supernatural

Lift
8 Horror
“It’s A Terrible Life”
THIS IS A moment that's guaranteed to
freak out anybody who’s ever used a
lift: which is all of us, of course, making
this scene doubly evil (and we’re still
traumatised from the lift-death in Final
Destination 2, for heaven’s sake!). It’s a
fiendishly simple set-up. A lift gets stuck
between floors; the security guard who’s
just arrested Sam climbs out, teasing
us cruelly as we expect something to
happen to him as he escapes. But no,
he’s fine. Now it’s Sam’s turn. He is,
naturally, unimpressed by the idea of
wriggling out of a lift on his stomach.
The guard climbs half into the lift again
to convince him it’s okay... and SPLAT!
He’s sliced in two as the lift falls, coating
Sam in blood and leaving his torso and
twitching legs (OMG the twitching legs!)
on two levels. The final kick in the ’nads?
The poor guard’s final words, as he
impatiently tries to coax Sam out of the
lift, are: “Look, I don’t have the rest of
my life...”

Brings a new meaning to

having a forked tongue.

7 Fork-Off
“Bad Day At Black Rock”
Two small-time criminals steal a box of cursed
objects from the Winchesters. Inside is a lucky
rabbit’s foot, which instantly makes them blessed
in spectacular ways. The trouble is, the luck wears
off and becomes deadly. So after a scuffle with the
brothers, one of the crims wakes up on the floor and
staggers over to the kitchen sink to wash his face –
stepping over a bottle of beer that’s rolled into the
middle of the linoleum, instead of slipping on it as
we suspect will happen. He’s okay! Psych! But he
hasn’t escaped yet... He turns around to call to his
friend, takes two steps, skids on the bottle and flies
backwards, hitting the sink and the kitchen utensils
We’ll take the on the draining board – where a two-pronged fork is
stairs next time. waiting to skewer him through the back of the skull.
No wonder his pal screams his lungs out when he
sees him. We did too.

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 Supernatural

Vampire
6 Carnage
“Live Free And Twi-Hard”
This season six episode sees Dean
turned into a vampire – a situation he’s
not wholly impressed with, as we’re sure
you can imagine. However, on the plus
side it gives him some pretty amazing
super-strength that comes in handy when
he decides to dole out vengeance, taking
down an entire building filled with vamps
one by bloody one. And by “bloody”, we
mean “bloody”: heads go flying, machetes
hack, bodies squish and splat as Dean
carves them up... A lot happens off-
camera, true, but the sound effects make
his rampage (vamp-age?) as gruesome as
can be. Then, as the pièce de résistance,
Dean slices off the head of the vampire
who turned him and uses it as a footstool.
All of which proves that when Dean’s good, Well, they needed a
he’s okay, but when he’s evil then he’s a new carpet anyway.
mother-flippin’ badass.

Who’d have thought working in

5 Anvil-icious
a bank could be so dangerous?

“Hunteri Heroici”
An episode that begins with a guy’s heart physically
leaping out of his chest, spraying his beloved with blood
and flesh, is obviously going to be a little different to the
norm. “Hunteri Heroici” doesn’t disappoint, as it brings
us a story in which the world you find in cartoons is
real. So a man can jump off a building, then find himself
suspended in mid-air, Wile E Coyote style, before falling
to his death; and a bank robbery is accomplished by
drawing a tunnel on the wall of the building that the
thief simply walks through. In a nutshell, it’s genius –
and very funny – but the episode gets a final kick from
the moment when we see the aftermath of a giant anvil
falling on a bank employee. He’s completely squished
by the impact; we see his bloody innards when Castiel
picks up the anvil, and it’s not pleasant. But, unlike our
dedicated Coyote, this is one fella who won’t be getting
up again. Splat!

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Supernatural

4 Razorblade
Throat
“It’s The Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester”
He should have gone
By gum, this one’s gross. A happy husband sneaks a to the dentist earlier.
mouthful of Halloween candy behind his wife and child’s
backs. Sure, that’s naughty, but he doesn’t deserve what
happens next... He suddenly grimaces in pain, realising
that something is caught in the roof of his mouth. He
reaches inside to see what it is. We’re treated (although
“treated” is possibly the wrong word) to a view of
the inside of his mouth... where a large razorblade is
embedded in his palate. Ouch! How did that get there?
Horrified, he struggles to pull it out, then stares at it in
shock before starting to cough up razorblades by the
mouthful. His wife walks into the kitchen to find him
lying in his own, choked-out blood in the middle of the
floor, blades strewn around him. She screeches in terror.
But hey, at least his last meal was candy! Silver lining!

Woodchipper
3 Frenzy
“Weekend At Bobby’s”
When faceD with a seemingly indestructible okami
(ie a nasty Japanese killer with fangs) and caught
short when it comes to weapons, the ever-resourceful
Bobby ends up grappling with the creature in front
of his flirty neighbour’s woodchipper. Naturally, one
thing leads to another and the okami ends up inside
the machine with its squishy bits flying out of the
other side. Gross enough, of course, but what gives
this scene the edge over many others is that the flirty
neighbour in question is unfortunately standing in
the path of the okami-gore as she watches the fight.
Turning the machine off, Bobby stares at her. She
stares at him in shock, guts and grue dripping from
her frilly nightie. Seizing his chance, Bobby asks if he
You’ve got red can come to dinner; she replies with a shaky, “I don’t
on you. think so.” Ah, woodchippers. So handy for destroying
trees and okamis; so crap at sparking romance.

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 Supernatural

You Must
2 Be Choking!
"Fresh Blood”
Supernatural began its run by killing
strangers week after week; then, after a while, it
killed its main cast members week after week,
too (they really are very good at coming back
to life). But before this was the norm, it was a
shock to see a recurring character die – which
made the death of Gordon Walker all the more
of a gutpunch. The hunter who once tried to
kill Sam for having demon blood in his veins
was turned into a vampire, the very thing he
hates, and then went after Sam with his new
powers. After luring the brothers into a trap,
Gordon bit Dean and consequently made Sam
very, very angry. What happens when Sam gets
angry? He kills things! And the way he kills
Gordon is one of the first truly stunning acts of
violence on Supernatural. Sam wraps barbed
wire around Gordon’s neck and squeezes until,
slowly and squishily, his head pops right off.
Grosssssssssssssss.

Let’s hope he’s had

his Tetanus jab.

Not the sort of love

bites you’d enjoy.

1 Ah,
Young Love
“My Bloody Valentine”
A lovey-dovey couple on a first date prepare to say goodbye on the doorstep of her home. That
first kiss is always a weird one, isn’t it? But despite their prudish exterior, these two soon start
snogging like their lives depend on it, then rush inside to do some more. Then... the girl bites the guy
and stares at him, shocked. “I think I bit you!” she pants, blood dripping from her mouth. He doesn’t
care, biting her back. She bites him again. He bites her. “I want you inside me!” she howls, and rather
than this suddenly turning rather naughty, it becomes a full-on body banquet as this otherwise
respectable and timid couple bite chunks off each other’s bodies until they have, quite literally,
eaten each other to death. Perhaps it’s the sex noises they make as it’s happening; perhaps it’s all the
blood dripping from bare skin; perhaps it’s just the very idea of it, but this scene tops our list simply
because you will never, ever be able to un-see it as long as you live.

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 61

 BETTER

YOU KNOW
Images © The Kobal Collection (1)

Jordan Farley compares and contrasts the four men who have
played Hannibal Lecter – one of horror’s most iconic villains

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 HANNIBAL

I
n Hannibal Lecter’s near 30 years on screen
the psychotic psychiatrist has left a trail of
blood even Freddy and Jason would envy. From
butchering Nazi collaborators to serving up
some poor chap’s brains to himself for dinner,
Hannibal has never stopped killing – even
orchestrating murders from his own prison cell. But
what marks Hannibal out from most common-or-
garden screen serial killers is his charisma.
Unfailingly polite, often his only justification
for murder is that he finds the victim “rude”. He’s
terrifyingly intelligent, cultured and has a nose like
a bloodhound. Over the years he’s been portrayed
by four different actors on screen – Brian Cox
(most briefly), Anthony Hopkins (most famously),
Gaspard Ulliel (most forgettably) and Mads
Mikkelsen (most recently). Our purpose today – to
see how they stack up against one another in a
battle of the Hannibals.
Brian Cox was the original
screen Hannibal and
remains popular with fans.

Played Hannibal in: Manhunter (1986) unpleasant to be in the company of than every limited, but it incriminates him.
other screen version of the character.
Age when cast as Hannibal: 40 Cleverest move: See above.
Goriest moment: Being stuck behind bars
Nationality: Scottish means Lecktor can’t commit any atrocities first Other horror franchise he’d be best
hand, but he does send Francis “The Tooth suited for: Wolf Creek – Cox’s vicious killer
Previously best known for: Playing Fairy” Dolarhyde to Will Graham’s home to kill would fit right in slaughtering strangers in the
Burgundy in the 1983 TV adaptation of King Lear Graham and his family – though Dolarhyde only Australian outback.
(with Laurence Olivier). succeeds in disfiguring the former.
Creepiest mannerism: Head down, eyes
General appearance: Slick black hair Most likely to say: “Do you have any up, talking to Will Graham like a tiger ready to
with a widow’s peak, well groomed, furrowed problems, Will?” pounce on a gazelle.
brow, spends most of his time sat or laying on his
bed in a prison cell. Most likely to wear: A white short- Primary adversary: Will Graham – the
sleeved shirt, white t-shirt and white trousers. brilliant FBI profiler responsible for his arrest,
General character: Lecktor (as he’s Not out of choice, mind you – that is his uniform played in the film by William Petersen.
called here) has more than a hint of privileged in prison.
British public school to him. He’s very well Favourite body part to eat: N/A – he
spoken, aggressive and often frustratingly Stupidest move: Using the classifieds of doesn’t get to eat anything in Manhunter. If he
cryptic. The truth of his intentions is never The National Tattler to communicate with did we could only imagine him going straight for
on the surface. He’s a little more obviously Dolarhyde. Lecktor’s options may have been the heart though.
63

He may not eat anyone in

Manhunter, but you wouldn’t
want to hang with Hannibal.

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HANNIBAL

Hopkins is still the most

famous screen Hannibal.
Look at those eyes!

Anthony Hopkins
Hannibal formed an
unlikely (and creepy)
bond with Clarice.

Played Hannibal in: The Silence Of The Goriest moment: Cutting the top of (the Cleverest move: Cutting a man’s face off
Lambs (1991), Hannibal (2001), Red Dragon still-alive) Paul Krendler’s head off in Hannibal and wearing it as a disguise during a daring
(2002) and feeding Krendler his own brain. escape in The Silence Of The Lambs.

Age when cast as Hannibal: 54 Most likely to say: “Quid pro quo, yes or Other horror franchise he’d be best
no Clarice.” suited for: The Omen. He may be a bit old,
Nationality: Welsh but no other character has ever been more like
Most likely to wear: His attire varies the son of the devil.
Previously best known for: The depending on circumstance. While incarcerated
Elephant Man, where he played John Merrick’s Hopkins’ Hannibal can generally be found Favourite body part to eat: Liver. With
doctor Frederick Treves. wearing a blue boiler suit, along with a straight some fava beans and a nice chianti.
jacket and muzzle for day trips out. During his
General appearance: Greying, slick back time in Italy tailored suits and a white fedora are Primary adversary: Mason Verger – a
hair with a widow’s peak. usually the norm. horribly disfigured man who Lecter tricked into
cutting his own face off years earlier.
General character: Polite, but Stupidest move: Chopping off his own hand
unquestionably unhinged. Intolerant of anyone with a meat cleaver rather than Clarice Starling’s Creepiest mannerism: Standing statue still
he considers rude but has an indefinable when she has him in handcuffs. Yeah, we know and completely silent in the middle of his cell,
affection for FBI agent Clarice Starling. you like her, Han, but think of yourself! waiting for Clarice to arrive.

Gaspard Ulliel
Played Hannibal in: Hannibal Rising (2007) polo neck t-shirt and a brown leather jacket.

Age when cast as Hannibal: 23 Stupidest move: Killing a butcher for

offending his aunt, and almost getting caught for
Nationality: French the crime.

Previously best known for: Playing Cleverest move: Injecting himself with
Audrey Tatou’s missing fiancé in mystery sodium thiopental to remember the names of the
romance A Very Long Engagement. people who killed his sister.

General appearance: Youthful. Black Other horror franchise he’d be best

hair, side parting, angular facial features. suited for: Halloween – Ulliel’s Hannibal is a
slasher through and through.
General character: Unhinged and driven
largely by emotion, he kills to avenge the murder Primary adversary: Vladis Grutas – a
(and cannibalisation) of his sister Mischa. Far former Nazi sympathiser who killed and ate
from the seasoned killer he will go on to become. Hannibal’s sister.

Goriest moment: Decapitating a man by tying Creepiest mannerism: Licking the blood off
him to a tree and having a horse pull on the rope. his black leather gloves after killing his victims.

Most likely to say: “I’ve come to collect Favourite body part to eat: None, as
a head.” yet. He’s still too traumatised from the horror of
Gaspard Ulliel played being forced into eating his own sister. That, of
the young Hannibal in a
best forgotten prequel. Most likely to wear: Black trousers, black course, will soon change...

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 HANNIBAL

Hannibal has a friend

over for dinner...

Dapper face of evil: Mads

Mikkelsen’s Hannibal is a
sharp-suited monster.

Mads Mikkelsen
Played Hannibal in: Hannibal (TV, Most likely to wear: A range of perfectly
And yet somehow
his hair remains
2013-present) tailored plaid suits. Rolled up shirt sleeves for immaculate...
when he’s in the kitchen cooking.
Age when cast as Hannibal: 48
Stupidest move: Trusting Will Graham
Nationality: Danish enough to let him see the real Hannibal.

Previously best known for: Playing Le Cleverest move: Hiding in plain sight by
Chiffre in Casino Royale. befriending key figures in the FBI’s Behavioural
Sciences Division – the very same people
General appearance: Always well- investigating his brutal murders.
presented to the point that he’s rarely seen with
a hair out of place. His face never betrays what Other horror franchise he’d be
he’s actually thinking, remaining completely best suited for: Saw – Mikkelsen’s Lecter
emotionless at all times. likes to punish people for their misdeeds, not
unlike Jigsaw, and he has an affinity for staging
General character: An agent of chaos, elaborate death displays.
completely unpredictable because he’s liable to
do things simply because he’s “curious”. Kills Primary adversary: Will Graham –
most of his victims to harvest their organs for his Hannibal’s “friend” who is secretly working to
swanky dinner parties, but covers up his crimes take him down. 65
with elaborate death tableaux.
Creepiest mannerism: He has a sense of
Goriest moment: Convincing Mason Verger smell so precisely honed he can detect cancer
to cut his own nose off and eat it. before medical tests can.

Most likely to say: “Whenever feasible one Favourite body part to eat: Kidneys,
should always try to eat the rude.” legs, hearts… so basically all of them!

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 65

VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED

1960

village of
The damned
Think the hoodies hanging round your high street are scary? They’re nothing
compared to the children of the Village Of The Damned, the screen’s most
frightening kids ever. Simon Kinnear shivers again

H
alloween 2008. TV spook-show Most the film gripped audiences with its multi-layered awakes to find all of its women pregnant. Even
Haunted arrives in Welsh village Denbigh terrors (do the Children symbolise the threat of the virgins. Nine months later, the Children are
to film a week-long special about an totalitarianism, or our anxieties about rebellious born: golden-haired, golden-eyed, and enjoying the
alleged witches’ curse. But producers have youth?) and still grips today. formidable telepathic powers of a shared hive-
sensationally labelled Denbigh as a “village “You’re thinking back nearly 50 years that this mind. Gradually, the Children take charge. After all,
of the damned”, and locals are in uproar. was made,” remembers actor Martin Stephens, once how do you stop a menace that can force you to kill
Quite right, too. Everybody knows there’s only one Midwich’s chief tormentor. “So much stuff of that yourself with a single stare?
Village of the Damned, and its name is Midwich. time is dated and sometimes quite painfully dated. MGM sensed a hit to rival Invasion Of The
Adapted from John Wyndham’s classic novel But Village holds up well.” Body Snatchers, and quickly optioned the novel.
The Midwich Cuckoos, Wolf Rilla’s 1960 film about The Midwich Cuckoos first made their nest in The intention was to shoot in Hollywood with
a community terrorised by alien ASBO kids has 1957, when John Wyndham was already Britain’s Ronald Colman in the lead role of Gordon Zellaby
become one of Britain’s most enduring science- most significant science fiction author thanks – until MGM became paranoid that the story
fiction films. Remarkable for its chilly realism at a to terrifying tales like The Day Of The Triffids. was a potentially blasphemous parody of the
time when homegrown genre cinema was largely After Midwich is put to sleep by unknown, almost Immaculate Conception. This fear wasn’t entirely
defined by the Grand Guignol of Hammer horror, certainly extra-terrestrial, intruders, the village unfounded; according to the author’s biographer
David Ketterer, Wyndham’s bold starting point was
indeed to “securalise that notion of Mary being
miraculously impregnated”. 

shooting in britain
However, commerce won out over controversy;
MGM decided to salvage its investment by
assigning reliable journeyman Rilla to make the
film quickly and cheaply at its British studios in
Borehamwood. As Colman had died during the
interval, George Sanders was hired to play Zellaby,
with rising horror star Barbara Shelley cast
as his screen wife, Anthea. So it was that a project
bankrolled by Hollywood, written by an American
(Stirling Silliphant, later to script The Poseidon
Adventure and The Swarm) and directed by a
German, became the most faithful – and, crucially,
British – adaptation of Wyndham’s work.
Image © The Aquarius

Hysterical B-movie title aside, Village Of The

Damned is a thoughtful, restrained scare-story,
Martin Stephens whose minor digressions from Wyndham tend to
played the kid you work in its favour. Budgetary constraints reduced
really wouldn’t want
to babysit. both the Children’s number (twelve) and age (three
years old, although their rapid growth means they

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 VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED

Image © Corbis

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 67

VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED

The child actors all The American version

wore outsize wigs to superimposed glowing
suggest alienness. eyes on the children, but
the original’s stares are
more sinister.
look ten), but it’s somehow scarier that a mere
Images © The Kobal Collection (4)

dozen fresh-faced youngsters can cause such

havoc. And Rilla provides an ingenious solution to
a plot problem the novel glosses over. Wyndham
never explains how the mind-reading Children
fail to notice their imminent demise at the hands
of Zellaby, English gent turned potential suicide
bomber. In the film, Zellaby hides his intent behind
the mental image of a brick wall, adding nail-biting
tension to the film’s ending: will the Children see
through the wall?
But the film’s masterstroke was to bring the
threat closer to home by turning Zellaby’s son
David – a normal boy in the novel – into the alien
Children’s ringleader. Enter the talented 11-year-
old actor Martin Stephens. “I think they wanted
someone who was fairly experienced, because it
was a demanding role,” he remembers. “By that The Children’s eeriness was enhanced by giving
time, I’d already made ten movies, so I happened to
fit the bill.” Where Are The them identical blonde wigs, deliberately oversized
to suggest alien anatomy. “They were made from

CHILDREN Now?
scratch and hand-knotted. They let me knot one
casting the kids of the strands myself,” recalls Teri Scoble, cast
Open auditions were held to cast the other alongside her twin sister Leslie. “They offered to
Children, with scouts briefed to find a specific sell them to us at the end but we couldn’t afford it!
look, as untrained Peter Preidel – at six years old, As children, they traumatised a generation – but Can you imagine what we could possibly sell them
the film’s youngest Cuckoo – remembers: “The where are the Cuckoos now they’re nearing for now?”
other boys and girls at the audition had been retirement age? After another “creepy kid” role in The wigs also evoked the unmistakable
to stage school so they all smiled sweetly when The Innocents, Martin Stephens quit acting. Today appearance of the Hitler Youth. Where American
asked a question. I didn’t know anything and just he’s a successful architect living in Portugal. Any sci-fi looked to Russia for metaphors, the British-
scowled. Unbeknownst to me, that was the look regrets? “I did toy with [going back] during my set Village tapped into all-too-recent memories of
they wanted!” training, but it was just a little whim.” Village Of The the Nazi threat – the war having ended a mere 15
That scowl defined the Children’s alienness; Damned remained Peter Preidel’s sole screen years previously. This frisson of ordinary life torn
as the film’s poster put it, ‘Beware the stare that appearance, after his parents feared the taxing apart was deliberate, as Wolf Rilla explained to the
paralyses!’ “Wolf Rilla was clever,” confirms effects of an acting lifestyle. Instead he became a BBC in his last interview before his death in 2005.
Barbara Shelley. “He said to the children, ‘Stop car dealer. Teri Scoble and twin sister Leslie “What always interested me about sci-fi is not to
acting. Just be.’ That’s why they were so scary, remained in acting. Today Teri runs children’s dance make a fantastic film but to make a film which had
because they just looked. They didn’t try and do school Go For It. Maybe it’s time for Village Of The almost a documentary feeling to it and you’d take a
anything more.” Damned: The Musical! real situation and you inject extraordinary events
The story’s conflict spilled over into real-life into it.”
when Stephens played chess with Sanders, as
Shelley recounts. “George came out looking very quintessentially english
bemused: ‘He beat me!’ I said, ‘Of course he did! It’s Rilla’s no-frills direction – stark monochrome, lean
bad enough acting with children, don’t play chess 77-minute running time – was enhanced by finding
with them!’” the perfect setting for Midwich only a few miles
Stephens laughs, “Well, I did beat him!” Like from Borehamwood. Letchmore Heath is still
the other Children, he grasped the film’s dynamic used as a filmmaking location today, but Rilla’s
instantly. “I liked that coolness about David and use of its quintessentially English atmosphere is
the fact that he had such enormous control over inspired. The film’s memorable setpieces are all
Images © The Aquarius Collection

the adult world. There’s something quite appealing the spookier for being staged, counter-intuitively,
about that!” in broad daylight. Who can forget the opening
Stephens’ performance was all the more sequence of Midwich suddenly, silently falling
remarkable as his father had died three weeks asleep? Or the first indication of just how far
before filming began. Maintaining David’s the Children are prepared to go, when they take
emotionless poise proved impossible, but Stephens revenge on a hapless motorist who narrowly misses
believes that his grief benefited the film. “I think running one down?
there is a little tinge of sadness in his performance. “I can remember the bit where we made the
There’s probably a little part of David that would guy drive the car into a wall, but I don’t think we
like to be able to be a son but he just can’t. It’s were supposed to be watching!” says Peter Preidel.
not in his biological make-up.” “There was a room set aside where we all had

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 VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED

The Sequel
In 1961, John Wyndham began a
sequel to The Midwich Cuckoos
– Midwich Main – but abandoned the
project, feeling he had nothing to add
to the original story. MGM had no such
qualms; a new gang of glowing-eyed
troublemakers was unleashed in 1963’s
Children Of The Damned. If Village was
a hangover from the 1950s alien
invasion cycle, the sequel is a ’60s-style
Cold War thriller about an unusual arms
race, as British scientists battle enemy agents to harness the
Children’s powers. Sadly, this intriguing premise quickly reverts to
more death-stare set-pieces, though without Village’s impact. The
London setting looks anonymous next to Midwich’s ironically
idyllic backdrop, while the wigless, multi-ethnic kids lack the
presence of Martin Stephens’ doppelgangers. Although none of
the original cast appears, at least one was considered. “They asked
my parents if I wanted to be in it and they declined,” confirms
Peter Preidel. “That was the end of my acting career!”

“MGM felt the film was

Original author
John Wyndham
liked the film – but
not horrific enough
not the title.
and put it on the shelf”
lessons. But I was more interested in peering out at Peter Preidel. “The manager comes out, shakes Village’s legacy was assured. A sequel, Children
what was going on!” hands – but wouldn’t allow me in!” Of The Damned, swiftly followed, as did a
Scary stuff, but – amazingly – MGM was Village Of The Damned proved equally successful subgenre of “evil children” horror movies clearly
convinced they’d made a turkey. “They felt it was in America – although, strictly speaking, it wasn’t indebted to Wyndham and Rilla’s vision: Jack
not horrific enough for some reason, and the film the same film. Feeling that the Children’s stare Clayton's masterful The Innocents (which also
was put on a shelf,” Rilla noted. “It might never alone wouldn’t frighten audiences, MGM added featured Stephens as another sinister youngster),
have seen the light of day but one day they had to a special effect of glowing eyes whenever the Rosemary’s Baby, The Omen and many more. The
fill [the cinema] with something so they said, ‘Let’s Children attacked.  Achieved by superimposing film’s iconic imagery is endlessly referenced, most
put this thing in.’ By the end of the first day there a negative of the actors’ iris over the frame, the memorably by The Simpsons’ hilarious parody,
were queues around the house.” device was simple but proved controversial. “The Bloodening”. Then, in 1995, John Carpenter’s
John Wyndham was among the film’s fans. “He According to Teri Scoble, “The English version ill-judged remake finally delivered the Hollywood
didn’t think his novel could be filmed because he of the film didn’t do anything with the eyes. We just version we were spared in 1960. CGI eyes, platinum
didn’t see how they could deal effectively with the stared, which we thought was much more sinister.” hair dye and Kirstie Alley as a shady scientist? We’ll
Children,” confirms David Ketterer. “He hadn’t Barbara Shelley agrees, “It’s much better without stick to the original, ta.
thought of the possibility of using wigs. So he was it. I’ve seen both versions and by far the most “The remake is all too gross, too obvious,”
pleasantly surprised. But he didn’t like the title!” interesting is the one where the children just look.” suggests Martin Stephens. “What’s so good about
Ironically, the underage stars were prohibited But the eyes have it: today, the “English version” the original is that it’s so understated.” Barbara
from seeing the A-rated film. “My dad trots me off doesn’t exist and the fatal glow has become the Shelley has a simpler theory about why Rilla’s
to the cinema and announces who I am,” recalls film’s defining image. version endures. “A friend of mine has two beautiful
blonde children, and when they look at you, you
Kids – who’d have ’em? think, ‘Oh dear, Village Of The Damned!’” She
chuckles nervously. Beware the stare, indeed.

The film’s extra

scary for being in
black and white.

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 69

PHANTASM

Terrific original poster, but you

might also remember the one
with the eyes on the hands.

Phantasm
Calum Waddell looks at the first movie ever to combine
demonic dwarves, grave robbing, otherworldly portals, a
heroic ice cream vendor and ferocious flying spheres…

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 PHANTASM

1979

Young Mike is haunted by

dreams of the sinister Tall Man.

C
ast your mind back, if you are old enough, to details the disappearance of several locals at the would turn to me, raise his eyebrow and give me
the VHS revolution of the early ’80s. For the hands of a mysterious undertaker known only as that Tall Man look. I would start quivering because
first time genre buffs could pause, replay The Tall Man (Angus Scrimm). Accompanied by I was really intimidated by him and that made me
and even slow-mo the best bits from a a legion of dwarf followers (who, oddly enough, think ‘This guy would be great in a horror movie.’
variety of top terror titles – something that, look like Jawas), this suited-up psycho is shipping So when I was writing the Phantasm script I kept
in this day and age of DVD, we now take for human carcasses to his volcanic home planet via that in my mind and I wrote this villain for Angus
granted. Yet, if you were there, it was a marvel a portal in the local funeral parlour. Hot on his to play.”
to be able to intricately inspect that exploding head trail, however, is a balding ice cream vendor called
in Cronenberg’s Scanners or the splinter-through- Reggie (Reggie Bannister) and a troubled orphan role of a lifetime
the-eyeball gag that highlighted Zombie Flesh named Mike (Michael Baldwin) – both of whom Born in 1926, Scrimm was no spring chicken
Eaters. However – perhaps even more than the catch on to the evil activity surrounding them. It when Phantasm began shooting in 1977, and when
classic bump and grind epic Emmanuelle – it was may not make a lick of sense but, thanks to some SFX catches up with him he claims that playing
Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm that really instigated the surreal atmospherics and a number of cheap – but a character who barely speaks one word was far
frivolous use of the remote control and that trusty
rewind button. Indeed, it’s impossible to estimate
how many tapes were knackered from people
watching, over and over again, the startling sight of
“I would start quivering because I was really
some poor schmuck having his skull drilled away by
a big metal ball.
Yes, it is easy to see why Phantasm became one of
intimidated by Angus Scrimm” Don Coscarelli
the definitive hits of the video boom… cheerfully nasty – special effects, Phantasm became from off-putting. “I thought it was rather special,”
“Growing up I was a massive fan of horror and one of the first, and finest, fear-franchises of the admits the actor. “Here was a movie that gave me
science fiction,” states Coscarelli when SFX sits 1980s. the chance to work without dialogue and to create
down with him. “I wanted to make a movie that “Back when I did Phantasm I really didn’t know a character that would scare people purely because
brought both genres together and which also had much about directing,” adds Coscarelli. “My first of his look and movements. I think that part of the
some great comic moments in it. I can tell you movie was called Jim The World’s Greatest and I effectiveness in that first film is the set ups that
that if you ever sit and watch Phantasm with an co-directed it with a neighbourhood friend called Don did for The Tall Man. I regard him to be like
audience you will hear a great deal of laughter. In Craig Mitchell. It wasn’t very sophisticated but I The Grim Reaper – he towers over everything that
among all of the grave robbing and gore is a lot of think that is where the character of The Tall Man happens and casts such an imposing presence.”
dark humour. I mean, our main villain unleashes a was born. I cast Angus Scrimm in that movie and Scrimm also maintains that he can see why
deadly flying ball to kill people. It’s hard to take that I gave him some really mediocre direction – so he Phantasm, upon its eventual release in 1979,
seriously [laughs].”
Set in a small, unnamed American suburb,
Main image courtesy The Kobal Collection

Coscarelli’s original head-hacking masterwork

The Tall Man does The spooky entrance to

his creepy walk. Morningside mausoleum. Kids: always hungry.

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HANNIBAL
PHANTASM

You’d be scared of an old

man’s silver balls too.

The Tall Man is a big fan of he doesn’t get much dialogue. In the first film I
minimalist interior design. think he only has about eight lines. When we came
to do the sequels he was always putting pressure
on me to give him more dialogue but, you know,
you can’t have The Tall Man talk too much – it just
takes away his mystery [laughs].”
Scrimm, however, claims that it never even
crossed his mind that his voice was barely heard
in the original Phantasm. “It did not occur to me
until after I saw the first movie that, yes, I did
have very little to say,” he laughs. “However, I
actually contributed one of the lines in the original Mike wanders the
Phantasm. It was when I say, ‘You play a good marble corridors of
game, boy, but the game is finished. Now you die.’ the mausoleum.
I was sitting in my dressing room and I jotted
that line down on a piece of paper and thought
about bringing it up to Don. However, I decided
otherwise and then forgot all about it. Well, Don
went into the dressing room, found the scrap piece
of paper and then, when we got into ADR, he had
me record that very line over the scene where The
Tall Man is walking ominously through the park.”
captured such a considerable cult following. “At Although it took two years to finish and
its centre, the movie is about Mike – this troubled distribute, when Phantasm finally saw the light
young boy who has lost his own family and who is of a cinema projector it pulled in a solid audience
now coming to terms with the concept of death. So before capturing the bulk of its viewers on
The Tall Man, in some ways, reminds him of his VHS. “I remember that there were two or three
own mortality – although there is also the idea sneak previews in top theatres in Los Angeles,” prints. So they would blanket one area and then
that, perhaps, The Tall Man is just a part of this recalls Scrimm. “Well they were all packed and move onto another. Each time Phantasm went to
boy’s imagination. I think that made the story a the reaction was overwhelming. Phantasm got another State, Don and I would travel there to help
lot more interesting, especially to young people picked up by Avco Embassy, which was a little publicise it. We went to most of the major cities
who are still coming to terms with the concept independent studio that was in deep financial in America and we soon discovered that word-of-
of life and death. It’s interesting because my fans trouble. I remember the same year as Phantasm mouth was what sold this little film. People would
seem to stay the same age [laughs]. It was mainly they also put out John Huston’s Winter Kills and see it and then go back a second or third time –
teenaged boys who embraced the Phantasm films about seven other movies – all of which bombed. usually with friends.”
and many of them began making movies when they But Phantasm pulled them back from the brink.
grew up. Luckily, they still come to me to be in It made lots of money and they were very shrewd after the movie
their projects [laughs].” in presenting it. They played it regionally because Sadly, stardom did not beckon for The Tall Man.
Looking back, Coscarelli does confess that the they did not want to take on the cost of too many “Oh, I was so naive,” chuckles Scrimm. “I had made
fact Scrimm was expected to keep his mouth shut

“I thought ‘My career is made!’ But nothing

during the making of Phantasm was perhaps not
the best test of his thespian abilities. “Angus is a
wonderful actor and he can do much more than
just The Tall Man,” insists the director. “I guess the
problem with Angus in the Phantasm movies is that much happened after that” Angus Scrimm
72 SFX presents Horror Subscribe at www.sfx.co.uk/subscriptions
 HANNIBAL

a favourite fright
Director Don Coscarelli on his finest hour (and a half)

“Solpadeine! Now!”

Asked to pick his fave Phantasm flick, Coscarelli admits

that the first sequel has it licked. “I would say that Phantasm
II might well be the best of the lot,” he reveals. “It was
certainly the biggest one in terms of resources because we
had the backing of Universal. I think the special effects took
If these ladies ask you “Sorry, I can’t come out on a new level of realism in that movie and I love the way
to put your hand inside to play, I have to finish
their box, just say no. the characters develop too.”
my homework.”

a few films before Phantasm and none of them had Even so, almost ten years later, Coscarelli wonderful. We used one of the endings that we
done any business. So after Phantasm took off I reunited with Scrimm for a far bigger budgeted shot for the original Phantasm so to be able to
thought ‘Wow, now my career is made!’ But even sequel – this time with the backing of Universal conclude the entire series with an organic scene
after I got an agent and got into the Screen Actor’s Studios. Surprisingly enough, the director almost from the original movie was great… Phantasm:
Guild nothing much happened. I remember being had himself an A-list leading man too. “When it Oblivion has that really cool time loop about it and
called up for Chevy Chase’s Caddyshack, because came time to do Phantasm II, Universal wanted me it is something that I am really proud of. But the
they thought I was a huge fellow. Well it turned to cast a new actor to play Mike,” says the director. Phantasm fans want more so every now and again I
out I wasn’t – Don just made me look that way – so “I was opposed to it but I got overruled and I do think that we should do another one.
they cast someone who was much taller instead. auditioned this guy you might have heard of called When this interview was conducted, a fifth film
So Phantasm did not do much for me. In fact, the Brad Pitt. Of course he never got the part but it is seemed unlikely. However, times change and it looks
only time I was recognised was by movie addicts pretty interesting to watch the tape. He hadn’t had like that dream is finally going to come true. To
working behind the counters of video shops. When a lot of success yet, but, you know, it’s funny seeing everyone’s surprise, Coscarelli announced back in
I met Quentin Tarantino he told me that he would Brad Pitt reciting lines like, ‘But Reggie, you gotta March that the fifth and final instalment, Phantasm:
commonly play the first two Phantasm movies in listen to me, man – the Tall Man is on his way here’ Ravager is not only a possibility – it’s already been
the rental store he used to work in and Roger Avary, [laughs]. That is a psychedelic experience.” filmed! While Coscarelli has given up the directorial
the co-writer of Pulp Fiction, attempted to get his “The fourth one, Phantasm: Oblivion, was back seat to David Hartman, he remains onboard as a
script to Phantasm V funded… which, unfortunately, in 1998,” mentions Coscarelli. “But I think that producer, with Scrimm set to reprise his iconic role.
never happened.” the final sequence of that movie is really quite Ravager is due for release in 2015.

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 73

THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT

THE BLAIR WITCH

PROJECT
Fifteen years ago a no-budget movie made by two film school
graduates and featuring unknown actors conquered the world
and scared your pants off. Calum Waddell looks back
at The Blair Witch Project...

A
Heather Donahue, who
h, 1999. the movie as actual “found footage” – the played a character called…
It should have been the year of hype leading up to The Blair Witch Project’s Heather Donahue.
Star Wars: Episode One. You can just 30 July US release was astronomical (Brits,
imagine George Lucas, ensconced sadly, had to wait until Halloween).
in Skywalker Ranch circa New It was, quite frankly, the must-see movie
Year, planning world domination of the year, if not the decade…
all over again with his soon-to-be-unveiled
masterpiece The Phantom Menace. Sure grabbing attention
to be lauded as a creative genius for the “I think by virtue of being at Sundance, and
introduction of Jar Jar Binks, the bearded a lot of the pre-buzz the film was getting
billionaire probably entered January before it premiered, we knew we had a
pondering how best to deal with the influx potential sale,” admits Dan Myrick, the co-
of front covers, award ceremonies, peace writer and co-director of The Blair Witch
prizes and five-star reviews poised to arrive Project. “I think that we thought we had a
in his direction. chance of being on the level of Pi, which
Hindsight, of course, is a great thing. had been a hit the year before. We believed
Because when 1999 came to a close there was we had something that was potentially
indeed one film that everyone was speaking successful – but only as an independent,
about. Unfortunately for our George, it was arthouse film… What we did not prepare for
some cheapskate horror flick called The was when Blair Witch began to break out the
Blair Witch Project – made with the sort
of cash that would barely cover the cost of Blair Witch creators
Ewan McGregor’s room service. More to the Eduardo Sánchez
point, this super-low budget effort, which and Daniel Myrick.
was largely shot on video, contained no star
names and no special effects. Yet, after a
packed-out premiere at January’s Sundance
Film Festival, The Blair Witch Project quickly
became the subject of an intense bidding war
(eventually won by the now defunct Artisan
Entertainment) while rumours began to
surface that the movie was a genuine “snuff
picture”. Thanks to an intense internet
marketing campaign – which advertised
1999

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 THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 75

THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT
Michael Williams never
quite made it to the
A-list after Blair Witch.

Joshua Leonard, like his

co-stars, delivered an all-
too-real performance.

way it did. No one anticipated how big that

movie got.” Indeed, by the end of the year
The Blair Witch Project had taken in $250
million worldwide and obtained the sort of
deserved its success. “Some of the inspiration
for Blair Witch came from the old In Search
Of… series with Leonard Nimoy,” admits
Myrick. “They were
keep broadcasting
Blair Witch
Was a true original, or did it borrow
The “camcorder” vibe quasi-documentaries
critical plaudits that The Phantom Menace that delved
of the intobeen
movie has everything from telekinesis heavily from others?
much imitated.
could only dream about… to UFOs – but each episode was austere and
Focusing on three young student pragmatic and, because of that, they felt real When Blair Witch hit
filmmakers, Heather, Josh and Mike, who and authentic. That really freaked me out as the big time everyone
traipse into the woods of Burkittsville a kid. Another influence was The Legend Of wanted to claim they
Maryland in an attempt to find out if the Boggy Creek, a movie which came out in the had a part in the
legend of the “Blair Witch” is kosher, the ’70s and told of these filmmakers searching success, including the
fear-flick was that rare example of a modern for Bigfoot. When I was a kid there were makers of 1998’s The
horror outing which showed nothing in the some scenes that really traumatised me and Last Broadcast – a
way of blood or boobs. Alas, it also depended Ed and I wanted to try and recapture some mediocre mock-
on the viewer having something approaching of that. Really, part of our frustration was documentary about the
an imagination and soon there was a that back then nothing was scary. You were search for The Jersey
backlash from gorehounds wondering why getting these big-budget horror fests with big Devil. “We heard about
all they got for their money was a bunch of production values and lots of effects but they The Last Broadcast a
twigs and trees.... were not frightening. We wanted to get really bit earlier than Cannibal
“After its success at Sundance I think it primal with Blair Witch and bring that sense Holocaust,” admits
was blown up and given to the masses who of fear back.” Sánchez. “We finished Blair Witch at the end of
expect a set number of things from their Certainly, without the postmodern jokes 1997 and I remember there was a feature about
scary movies,” admits Eduardo Sánchez, the of Scream, or any spilt innards, The Blair The Last Broadcast in Wired magazine in February
other writer/director behind Blair Witch. Witch Project built its tension around the of 1998. We were editing our film at that point but
“When you big something up too much it age-old fear of being lost, hungry and preyed we met the guys later at Sundance. There was
eventually hurts it. For example, I saw The upon by a force so omnipotent that all the some animosity – but, to be honest, if we were
Dark Knight and it was a good film but the tears, snot and shaky-cam confessions in the going to rip off anybody then we would have
way people were talking about it I expected world cannot make it go away. Nevertheless, chosen Cannibal Holocaust. For all we know maybe
it to change my life. So I think the hype seasoned fright-fanatics still called “foul” The Last Broadcast did that.”
eventually hurt Blair Witch. It was a $30,000 trying to claim some kind of link between
Image courtesy The Kobal Collection

film that somehow ended up in theatres all these subtle shocks and the more juvenile,
over the world. It became way too big for
what it was intended for.”
For those who did get lost in the feature’s
freaky sense of impending doom (and found
“who can ever forget heather donahue’s
themselves sleeping with the light on for
days afterwards – thanks largely to what ear-piercing shrieks or the sight of her
may be the most horrifying ending in cinema
history), The Blair Witch Project more than mucus-covered kisser?”
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 THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT

Publicity material
pretended the incidents
were non-fictional.
in the shadows
The sequel was a bit of a disaster…
Despite being made by respected documentary
filmmaker Joe Berlinger, 2000’s Book Of Shadows:
Blair Witch 2 is now the byword for “bad movies”.
A sort-of satire on “true-to-life” television features,
the lambasted sequel actually has some interesting
ideas in among the awfulness. “From a creative
perspective the second film broke the mythology,”
admits Myrick. “It became self-referential, which is
something we were never in agreement with. I
think that in both the mainstream audience’s eyes,
and the Blair Witch fans, it just never satisfied
anyone. But, hey, there are certainly worse movies
out there…”
Memorable images – but
did Blair Witch end up Some became convinced
being too hyped up? that the yarn was true. phenomenon calmed down and then decide
what to do,” admits Myrick. “I wanted to
visit some of my own concepts as well and,
for better or worse, some of them were a lot
gross-out jolts of 1980’s Italian “video nasty” Hollywood are used to seeing actors through of fun to make.”
Cannibal Holocaust, a movie also based a certain sheen and veneer, which reminds Sánchez, however, claims that the
around “found footage”. “There was no them that they are watching a movie. Blair horrible experience of co-producing 2000’s
link between that film and us,” maintains Witch removed that and made people feel notoriously rushed follow-up Book Of
Sánchez. “But I remember that we got sent like they were watching reality.” Shadows: Blair Witch 2 may have contributed
Cannibal Holocaust after Blair Witch was to the duo’s extended rest. “That was a
finished and we all thought ‘wow’ because under the influence case of making a movie for all of the wrong
it was basically the same idea. Dan and I Yet, ten years later and the influence of The reasons,” bemoans the director. “Artisan did
thought it was pretty cool actually... Don’t Blair Witch Project is unmistakable – as not seem interested in making a good film.
get me wrong, I did not like the fact they evidenced by such features as Cloverfield, They wanted to do something that was going
killed real animals in Cannibal Holocaust, but Diary Of The Dead, Quarantine and [REC], to make them a lot of money and which
I thought some of the other stuff was quite each of which uses the idea of handheld they could market the hell out of. It was a
clever. However, Dan and I came up with news footage to make their terrors feel all corporate plan.”
the idea for Blair Witch around about 1991 the more real. “I don’t think that Blair Witch That said, both admit that a return
and we did not see Cannibal Holocaust until invented reality TV because it was there long to Burkittsville is not entirely out of the
Sundance. It was banned so hardly anyone before us,” admits Sánchez. “For example, question. “I would love to collaborate with
knew about it back then.” you had Cops and The Real World. But I Ed on more Blair Witch films,” says Myrick.
Part of the power of The Blair Witch think our movie had something to do with “We had an idea to do a prequel but Lion’s
Project was also in its acting, which was the reality boom and pushing people in that Gate now owns the franchise and when we
mostly improvised. Who can ever forget direction. I just wonder why it has taken so approached them they passed on it.” Even
Heather Donahue’s ear-piercing shrieks long for stuff like Cloverfield to come along so, his co-conspirator is equally enthused.
or the sight of her mucus-covered kisser [laughs]. Maybe when Blair Witch came out “The prequel takes place in the late 1700s,”
uttering an apology into the camera it was seen as a gimmick but since this stuff reveals Sánchez. “It’s set in the middle of
only mere minutes before she meets her has become hot again there has been some the winter in this township called Blair.
demise? Sadly, despite giving dedicated interest in us doing a new first-person movie. It would be really scary and hardcore.
and believable performances, the three We are working on that right now…” I just wish we could get the money for it.
stars – Donahue, Josh Leonard and Michael Hopefully this revelation may indicate a Maybe someday…”
Williams – never did go on to A-list acting second lease of life for Myrick and Sánchez. Clearly, there’s life in the old witch yet...
success. “It’s an interesting thing isn’t it?” The duo never did manage to capitalise on
reflects Myrick. “In some ways Blair Witch is the success of Blair Witch. Taking a long
still very misunderstood. I think they almost lay off (“For the first time in our lives we
did too good a job as actors. People are still had money,” admits Sánchez) the two went
amazed when I tell them that we auditioned their separate ways but, ultimately, ended
for over a year and saw 2,000 people for up returning with a series of independently
the parts. It took us that long to get down produced, direct-to-DVD genre efforts. For
to Heather, Mike and Josh, who pulled off Myrick it was 2007’s Believers and 2008’s “The Blair Witch Cult” at the
these ad-libbed performances with such Solstice, whilst Sánchez called the shots on Maryland Historical Society Museum
authenticity that a lot of people did not think 2006’s Altered and the acclaimed Seventh in Baltimore, aka clever marketing.
they were acting at all. So many people in Moon. “I wanted to wait until the Blair Witch

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 77

THE COMPANY OF WOLVES

One of the best British horror films was about Jordan was wearing his author’s hat when
he went to Dublin in 1982 for a conference
little Red Riding Hood, no less. Andrew Osmond celebrating James Joyce’s centenary. Here he
met Angela Carter, whose novels dated back to
rediscovers what big ideas it had the 1960s (including another surreal story of a
girl’s coming of age, The Magic Toyshop, filmed in
he sign on the soundstage door awakening of a pubescent girl. Dreaming herself 1987). However, she was most famous for her 1979
warns “Wolves on set”. Within, the into the world of Red Riding Hood, young story collection, The Bloody Chamber. The stories
fairytale forest is darkened. This Rosaleen hears and tells various stories about drew on traditional fairytales, taking them in
is a night scene, in which scared wolves, allowing for a wide range of striking unexpected ways to decidedly non-patriarchal
peasants are trying to lure one of the fantasy visions. Well-dressed aristos get hairy resolutions. But Carter bristled when asked if her
predators into a trap. A huge timber wolf stalks at a banquet, babies hatch from bird-eggs, and book was an exercise in feminist revisionism.
the undergrowth, brought to the set not from there’s a Satanic cameo from Terence Stamp In Carter’s words, “My intention was not to do
Transylvania, but from a farm down in Sussex. in a Rolls-Royce. The film circles round to the ‘versions’ or, as the American edition of the book
There are animal handlers lurking nervously best-known wolf tale of all, as the red-cloaked said, horribly, ‘adult’ fairytales, but to extract the
behind the fake trees, trying to tempt the beast Rosaleen meets a handsome stranger in the latent content from traditional stories.” Among
to walk the right way. This is savage, wild nature, woods who is, as her granny would say, hairy on
the jaws that bite, the claws that catch… the inside. My, what big teeth you have…
 Quack! It’s a sacrificial duck, which the Neil Jordan is a front-rank director now,
peasants are using to lure the beast to its doom. thanks to The Crying Game and Interview With
In a flash, the dark lord of the forest turns tail The Vampire, but The Company Of Wolves
and runs for its life. “It was terrified of the duck!” was only his second film. His debut was Angel
remembers director Neil Jordan. It’s an anecdote – nothing to do with vampires, but a gritty,
almost as strange as the film itself. downbeat crime drama starring Stephen Rea,
Despite Jordan’s own denials, The Company who would reappear in several Jordan films,
Of Wolves is a landmark horror film. But it’s including The Company Of Wolves. Back then,
also an Alice-style dark fantasy, a Freudian Jordan was arguably more famous for his literary Little Red Riding Hood
might not be “little”
feminist fairytale, a young lady’s guide to dating work, having written two novels and a short- for much longer…
werewolves, and an allegory for the sexual story collection.

The colour red plays an Company man:

important part in The there’s a beast
Company Of Wolves. inside everyone.
Image © ITV/Rex Features (1)

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 THE COMPANY OF WOLVES

1984

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 79

THE COMPANY OF WOLVES

The film propelled

Neil Jordan into the
big time.

them was Red Riding Hood, which Carter reworked

as “The Company Of Wolves”. In this brief tale, a
young girl finds a werewolf lurking in her granny’s
house, but proves more than a match for it.
When Jordan met Carter in Dublin, she’d
scripted a radio version of “Company Of Wolves,”
which Jordan read. “Angela’s message was that
behind these saccharine kids’ bedtime stories was
real blood, flesh, hair, and a seething torrent of
sexuality,” Jordan says. “I had a fascination with
fairytales and understood where she was coming
from immediately.”

warning fable “He really should

Much as Philip Pullman would do with Adam have used Factor 50.”
and Eve in His Dark Materials, Carter recast a
cautionary tale as a liberating fable. The wolf
isn’t just a predator, but it symbolises the girl’s
burgeoning sexuality, ringed round with repressive
warnings and scare-stories. Before The Bloody
Chamber, Carter had translated Charles Perrault’s
Red Riding Hood, which warned women to protect
their chastity: “Children, especially pretty, nicely
brought-up ladies, ought never to talk to strangers.”
Rosaleen breaks the rules, realising her womanhood
and smashing the walls between dream and reality.
As her mother says, “If there’s a beast in man, it
meets its match in women in too.”
Rosaleen’s story couldn’t support the film alone, You know what it’s like,
so Jordan suggested weaving it with other tales
you go to a wedding
hoping to pull…

the howling
The film used a and tales-in-tales, inspired by fleeting anecdotes
combination of real in Carter’s narrative, other stories in The Bloody
wolves and dogs. Chamber, and even Jordan’s own novel, Dream Of
A Beast (which had the image of a baby hatching
from an egg). For two weeks, Jordan and Carter
Director Neil Jordan hoped to use hammered out the script in Carter’s Clapham
real wolves in the film. “There house. “Every morning we would meet and imagine
were four wolves that we could these extraordinary scenes,” Jordan said. “We
track down in the entire British had total freedom playing with different genres,
Isles,” he says. “Two of them were multiple meanings and ideas of reality and fantasy.
in Scotland, and we had them We had a ball.”
driven down, but on the way one The Company Of Wolves went into production
wolf ate the other in the back of when British studios were hosting enormous
the truck.” After that disaster, fantasy worlds for The Empire Strikes Back, The
Jordan used the surviving wolves Dark Crystal (both filmed at Elstree Studios) and
sparingly, often substituting Krull (shot at Pinewood). “We had to create an
Alsatians and Malamutes (a enormous forest out of 12 trees,” Jordan recalled
Malamute is a cross between an ruefully of his nine-week Shepperton shoot. The
Alsatian and a husky). However, responsibility went to production designer Anton
in a climactic scene where the girl Furst, formerly a laser effects pioneer, who had to
puts her arms round a wolf, it’s a work with low-tech equipment. “The trees were on
real wolf she’s hugging. big wheels which you’d roll around on wheels to
create other environments and paths,” said Jordan.

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 FROM WEREWOLVES
TO VAMPIRES
One fan of The Company Of Wolves was Anne
Rice, who describes her vampire heroes Lestat
and Louis watching the film repeatedly in
her book, Tale Of The Body Thief. “Anne said
…or was it more this
sort of thing?
that she wanted me to make Interview With
The Vampire because Company Of Wolves was
Lestat’s favourite movie,” says Jordan. He had already discussed their finger on it, but they knew something was
a vampire film with Carter, along the same lines as The Company wrong,” she told Marxism Today.
Of Wolves. “When I finished The Crying Game, I was going to The film was successful in Britain and Europe,
call (Carter), but she died that year,” said Jordan. “I still have the though it foundered in America, where, according
outline she wrote and would love to return to it one day.” to Jordan, “they tried to flog it as a down and
dirty horror movie.” During the marketing of the
film, there was a scary incident on a TV talkshow.
Patterson was in a studio and also present was

“Jordan and Carter

Great special effects
helped Company
achieve its stylish look.
were disappointed
when tHE FILM got an
18 certificate”
one of the wolves from the film, perhaps the one
that had been humiliatingly spooked by the duck.
So did this sort of thing Jordan recalled: “Suddenly the wolf went for Sarah,
garner the film its harsh tried to grab her by the throat. Thank god it was on
18 certificate…? a leash that they pulled back.”
Jordan, of course, went on to world fame as a
People did, and aim for an intelligent horror film, director with the massive hit Interview With The
you tend to fall between two stools. Whether that Vampire. Other participants in The Company Of
is the correct approach or not, it is the approach we Wolves have been less fortunate. Carter died from
are aiming for.” cancer in 1992, aged 51. Anton Furst went on to
win an Oscar for designing Gotham City in Tim
recognisable faces Burton’s Batman, but he committed suicide shortly
Company’s cast included such familiar British faces afterwards. And after her bright start, Patterson
as Brian Glover, Graham Crowden, David Warner faded from view; one of her few subsequent credits
(who plays Rosaleen’s father in the real and fantasy was in a straight-to-video Snow White, opposite
worlds) and Angela Lansbury as the girl’s stern Diana Rigg.
grandmother, with a living fox-fur round her neck. The Company Of Wolves, though, is remembered
The central role of Rosaleen went to 13-year-old as something of a milestone in fantasy cinema.
newcomer Sarah Patterson, who fitted Jordan’s It’s a weird, haunting one-off that feels essentially
“We wanted every tree to somehow look like feet idea of a bright, unaffected girl, naive but at the unlike any other film before or since. Explaining
or hands, everything to be anthropomorphic. We same time preternaturally bold. By an extraordinary its timeless appeal, Neil Jordan harked back to the
thought of having trees with roots like stiletto heels, coincidence, Patterson came from the same spirit of fairytales. “You feel like you’re visiting
but we couldn’t afford it.” Hampstead school where granny Lansbury studied somewhere that you’ve been before, like Hansel and
The spectacular wolf transformations were several decades earlier. Gretel’s cottage,” he said. “We tried to build each
handled by effects artist Christopher Tucker, who For the cameo role of the Devil, Jordan had set so that it reminded you of something you had
had created John Hurt’s make-up for the title role been hoping to get Andy Warhol, but when the seen, but you weren’t quite sure what it was.” Asked
in The Elephant Man. A sinister “travelling man”, artist refused to fly to England, Terence Stamp how he would describe his film, Jordan called it “a
played by Stephen Rea, literally tears his own face stepped in, taking the role for the price of a new sensual nightmare”.
away. Later, a flamboyantly seductive huntsman, suit. The naked “wolfgirl” who emerges from a well
played by the dancer Mischa Bergese, howls in (described by Jordan as Rosaleen’s alter-ego) was
Image © Eric Workum/Rex Features (1)

agony, only for a wolf’s muzzle to push out of his played by underground musician Danielle Dax.
jaws. It’s much the same kind of body-horror coup The film opened in Leicester Square, but both
that John Carpenter had recently used to different Jordan and Carter were disappointed that it
ends in The Thing. was given an 18 certificate. As the critic Philip
However, executive producer Stephen Woolley French pointed out in his review, the certificate
was anxious to distance The Company Of Wolves excluded “the mid-teenagers who would especially
from other genre fare. “Horror movies tend to fall understand, enjoy and be enriched by the film.” The
into two categories these days,” he argued. “They average person might think that it was moments
are either the Friday The 13th type or The Thing such as Rea gorily tearing off his face that led to
type. One is extremely nasty and the other goes the restrictive rating. Carter, though, thought it And the winner of
overboard with special effects. If you try to straddle was down to politics. “The Thatcherite censorship
“touch your tongue
with your nose” is…
these two aspects, as I think (Paul) Schrader’s Cat found (the film) subtly offensive. They couldn’t put

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 81

THE EVIL DEAD

1981

Before he was the toast of Hollywood with Spider-Man, Sam Raimi was
baiting censors with his delirious debut. Calum Waddell looks back at
the most infamous of all the video nasties...

B
ruce Campbell, living legend and all round genre icon, is a something few other fright flicks were even thinking about at
little touchy when it comes to his memories of 1981’s The the time: it tortured and tormented a screaming male instead of a
Evil Dead. “Of course I got bruised... I was black and blue vulnerable, scantily clad female.
for weeks. I mean, do you think we could afford stuntmen Subversive? In its own gore-drenched way, you betcha...
on that movie?” “That was absolutely on purpose,” admits Campbell. “And
Indeed, one gets the impression that making the low it is very rare in horror films even today. But Sam did that
budget splatter shocker was something of a horror in its own intentionally. We had all seen Halloween, The Toolbox Murders
right for all involved.
“I was also a producer on The Evil Dead,” continues the man
with the world-famous chin. “And I can tell you that the rest
of the actors hated every last one of us after the filming was Stop picking at your spots!
finished. They didn’t speak to any of us for a long time. It was an
extremely difficult shoot and it went on for a lot longer than we
said it would [laughs]. They didn’t know what they were signing
on for but none of us did! All I can say is that it was not a nice ten
weeks: it was cold and miserable and the food was awful...”

“The Evil Dead did something few other fright

flicks were even thinking about at the time:
it tortured and tormented a screaming male
instead of a vulnerable, scantily clad female”
Nevertheless, at an age when most of us are still learning
how to hold down our lager intake, 21-year-old Sam Raimi and
22-year-old Bruce Campbell created a horror legend out in
the woods of Detroit, Michigan, and, moreover, gave the genre
a youthful injection of energy. Oh sure, The Evil Dead took
elements from several other crimson-caked classics (including
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Dawn Of The Dead and Dario
Argento’s Suspiria) but it did so with such tenacity that it still
felt remarkably fresh. More to the point, in its story of five
A career in
vacationing youngsters (led by Campbell’s hapless Ash), who ass-kicking
are trapped in a haunted cabin out in the middle of nowhere and followed.
summarily turned into bile-spewing ghouls, The Evil Dead did

82 SFX presents Horror Subscribe at www.sfx.co.uk/subscriptions

 Deadly Successful
THE EVIL DEAD

Cheap, gory – and one

of the most seminal
horrors of the ’80s.

entire cottage industry of

The Evil Dead effectively spawned an
one knows what happened to
Hollywood hot shots. Of course, every
bell and Raim i – but prod ucer Rob Tapert has maintained a
Camp
own. His CV to date includes The
mega-sized producing career of his
Don’t try t, The Gift and Drag Me To Hell. Meanwhile, Scott
Grudge, 30 Days Of Nigh
this at p” on The Evil Dead – Raimi-speak for a
Spiegel (credited as a “fake shem
home, kids. Dead II, direct From Dusk Till Dawn
production assistant) would write Evil
the Hoste l serie s. Finally, some guy called Joel Coen
II and produce
r on The Evil Dead. Word has it he’s not done
worked as an assistant edito
too badly for himself either...

“the hostel movies make the evil dead look

tame. i look at stuff like that and saw and
i think, ‘we never did anything like that!’”
and the other slasher movies that were doing the rounds – and it potential investors and distributors that we could do this thing
was always young beautiful women being terrorised. I remember and make you jump out of your seat. It was not designed for
that Sam said, ‘Screw that – let’s put a guy through some hell. a mass audience or meant to be distributed to a lot of people,
How often do you see a grown man cry like a little baby?’” which is why it has never been on an Evil Dead DVD. It served its
purpose very well and it did what it was intended to do.”
thin ice Campbell, meanwhile, chuckles when asked what was in the
Nevertheless, even in spite of this admirable attempt at gender Detroit water back in the early ’80s which produced so much
role-reversal, The Evil Dead did skate upon very thin ice in a filmmaking talent.
shocking sequence (which would eventually be removed by “I think that we all just worked hard,” he admits. “We came
the British censors) where Campbell’s female co-star Ellen from a town that made automobiles and we all wanted to escape.
Sandweiss is raped by a tree. A cinematic first, certainly, but one For instance, a guy like Scott Spiegel, who did some stuff on The
that nobody probably asked for. Evil Dead and now produces the Hostel movies: he worked from a
“Well, I didn’t write the movie but I knew that sequence young age to support his family. I had every odd job going – paper
was in there,” recalls Campbell. “It was actually added later on boy, janitor, cab driver – and Sam was the same. This was before
because we all felt it pushed things to the ‘next level’ – although we knew about being a slacker [laughs]. It was also very cold and
I was personally against it. But what are you going to do? It the snowstorms would kill everything in your brain – I guess
grows on you over time and it is one of the most outrageous because of that we never paused to think about how risky the film
scenes in the movie.” business was. So the idea of ‘Hey, let’s drive downtown and try
Rob Tapert, who also acted as a producer on The Evil Dead and get this guy to invest in a horror movie and after that we can
(and now runs Ghost House Pictures with Raimi), agrees. play some hockey’ was second nature to us. None of us thought
“I guess the rape may have been a little bit excessive,” he we were doing anything out of the ordinary when it came to The
admits. “However, people still talk about it. And here’s what kills Evil Dead.”
me – the Hostel movies make The Evil Dead look tame. I look
at stuff like that and Saw and I think, ‘Holy crap, we never did horror epic
anything like that.’ I mean, we may have raped somebody with For Tapert, the hard work on The Evil Dead paid off when he first
a tree and stuck a pencil in someone’s ankle but you could not saw the movie and, with one sequence in particular, realised that
take any of it seriously! Yet you look at what is out there now and he and his friends had made a horror epic for the ages...
some of it is just irredeemably nasty.” “I knew that we had something special the moment I saw the
For Tapert, however, part of getting The Evil Dead off the scene where Ash buries his girlfriend,” chuckles the producer.
ground was financing a short film version of it – entitled Within “However, a moment later, while he is still in the middle of
The Woods. The 32-minute result, which also stars Campbell and grieving, she pops out of her grave and, of course, to protect
Sandweiss, has never been officially released, although it can be himself he hits her in the face with these big railroad beams. So
seen in all of its grainy, cash-strapped glory on YouTube. then she dies on him. Again. And he chops her head off – but this
“Within The Woods was a very specific tool that we needed time the body falls on him and blood spews all over his face! I
to have in order to get The Evil Dead made,” affirms Tapert. “It like that because it just goes for broke – it’s an example of a great,
was like a band’s practice tape. It was for us to demonstrate to wild, horror moment, although it is also very funny.”

84 SFX presents Horror

 THE EVIL DEAD

We reckon Mary Whitehouse

loved these scenes…

Video Nasties
Even Raimi regrets
That Scene with the
tree now.

Unbelievably, at one time

The Evil Dead was
considered to be a threat to
public morality on these
isles. Yes, back in the early Still, The Evil Dead was gaining some considerable infamy. In
’80s what became known as comparison, Tapert maintains that it pretty much came and went
“the video nasty” scare saw in America.
39 movies prosecuted as “Well here is what happened,” he begins. “We always thought
obscene (including the likes it was going to play in American grindhouse cinemas, and that is
of Cannibal Holocaust, The where The Evil Dead ended up. We played in 42nd Street and then
Toolbox Murders and SS we went to Detroit and Chicago and so on and so on. It rolled
Experiment Camp) and 33 out that way, with just 100 prints, but they no longer distribute
others slip out of court with movies in that form. It was a very different world back then and
a simple hand wringing. The Evil Dead basically slipped out without many people noticing.
Raimi’s flick fell into the
Of course, things were different in the UK. An enterprising new
latter camp – but the height
company called Palace Pictures gave us the sort of push that
of this lunacy was when a
luckless video distributor
we never dreamed of getting back home in the US. So it was
ended up with a year in prison mere in Britain where our reputation grew and grew... but that was
ly for distributing the lame-o
slasher flick Nightmares In A Damaged largely because the film was talked about in the newspapers as
Brain. Strange times indeed!
some kind of byword for grisly, reprehensible gore [laughs].”

number one nasty

Campbell also admits that the entire demonisation of The Evil
Unfortunately, when The Evil Dead hit British cinemas, and Dead in Blighty (the film was dubbed “the number one nasty” by
later became a cause célèbre on VHS tape, the powers-that-be moral campaigner Mary Whitehouse – who took out obscenity
failed to get the joke. prosecutions against it) caught him by surprise.
“It had done okay in the US but the UK was where the whole “We were all following it closely and I remember that Sam
Evil Dead cult started,” enthuses Campbell. “We got a theatrical went over there and testified at one point in court,” he chuckles.
release in Britain and then it did very good video sales. Or at least “It sounded insane to me – actually having to defend making a
it did until they banned it [laughs].” low budget zombie movie to a British judge! Unfortunately, when
something is banned you cannot make sales in that country so, to
be honest, we were hoping they’d drop it for that reason.”
Alas, this scandal did not do a lot for the actor’s burgeoning
attempts at fame and fortune.
A cabin. In the woods. “The truth of it is this – I was working in a job as a security
officer after The Evil Dead,” bemoans Campbell. “I had spent
six months in Los Angeles without work. So being the star of a
popular horror movie is not how it seems. You cannot retire on
B-movie kind of money [laughs].”
Tapert and Raimi, meanwhile, fared little better.
“After The Evil Dead we thought that we knew about mass
entertainment and what people wanted to see,” he says. “So we
ended up doing this movie that no one ever saw called Crimewave
and that, unfortunately, was a baptism by fire. We went from
making The Evil Dead, which was down and dirty filmmaking,
and suddenly we were placed in somebody else’s system and
being told what actors to use and what kind of story to tell.
Sam finds that whole period painful – he still says it is the most
painful experience of his life.”
The good news, of course, is that after Crimewave Raimi,
Tapert and Campbell regrouped and took on a slightly more
personal project.
Its name? Evil Dead 2. But that is another story altogether.

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 85

 EVIL DEAD II

Popped eyeballs, lopped-off limbs, gallons of gore

and Bruce Campbell replacing his hand with a
chainsaw… as Calum Waddell tells us, it can only
be 1987’s sicko-sequel Evil Dead II
1987

A
lthough it’s now deemed a classic the sequel and Sam Raimi’s old high school chum experience in gruelling terror’, was all over the
slice of horror film carnage, and (at this time) flatmate. “Cable television was poster of The Evil Dead. Well, he heard that we
1981’s The Evil Dead slipped how all of the big horror movie franchises took were trying to do a sequel and at the time he was
into American theatres without off back then. A Nightmare On Elm Street did directing his first movie, Maximum Overdrive,
attracting too many accolades. okay at the cinema but it was only when the kids for the producer Dino De Laurentiis. So Stephen
Indeed, it was only after it were watching it on cable television that Freddy mentioned to Dino that he would like to see
became a VHS hit during Britain’s “video nasty” became a household name. Unfortunately that an Evil Dead II and that this young guy Sam
era that Sam Raimi’s demonic debut began to stir never happened to The Evil Dead because cable Raimi was really struggling in Hollywood.
up a sensation among splatter buffs – barfing- would only show R-rated movies. So a lot of Luckily, Dino had seen the first Evil Dead and he
up boffo box office across Europe, Japan and was aware of how popular it had been in Britain.
elsewhere. Despite only a smidgeon of success
stateside, The Evil Dead was a blood-caked “our intention was So he said, ‘Okay then I’ll finance the sequel’ and
that was that [laughs].”

to move the action

blockbuster in many foreign territories. Hence, This stroke of good luck did, however, curtail
Images © The Kobal Collection (8)

after struggling in Hollywood with his second at least some of the loftier plans that Raimi and
schlock-fest Crimewave (1985), Raimi decided – Spiegel had for their fearsome follow-up.
six years later – that the time was right to return
to his hit property.
The issue being, though, that in Tinseltown
out of the cabIN” “Originally it was going to be called The
Medieval Dead,” continues Spiegel. “But that had
to wait until Army Of Darkness! We were happy
few people were aware of what a pop culture people didn’t know what The Evil Dead was.” to get the financing for Evil Dead II but it was not
phenomenon The Evil Dead was turning into… Thankfully the original movie had at least the sort of budget that we could go crazy on. My
“The big problem is that the first Evil Dead found one high-profile fan in Hollywood… original intention was to move the action out of
film went out unrated and that meant that people “Stephen King was the guy who came to our the cabin. But Sam felt that, due to the money we
didn’t have the chance to discover it on cable rescue,” reveals Spiegel. “He had really plugged had, it needed to stay simple and remain in the
television,” recalls Scott Spiegel, co-writer of the first film. In fact, his quote, ‘the ultimate same location. I mean, I wanted there to be this

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 87

EVIL DEAD II
big scene where you saw the demonic force of the
Deadites flying through the woods and trashing
everything in its wake but that was more for an
Army Of Darkness budget [laughs].”
Another difficulty that new financiers
brought to the feature was the fact that Raimi
could now not access any footage from the first
flick – a quite considerable hurdle considering
that the original Evil Dead climaxed with Bruce
Campbell’s hapless Ash being attacked (and
presumably killed) by the otherworldly excess
that he had just spent an entire night trying his
best to destroy…

remaking part one

“That factor was awkward,” smiles Spiegel. “We
certainly had a lot of explaining to do. Sam and I
had planned to use footage from the original so
that we could recap the story and then explain
that Bruce never died at the end of the first film.
However, we also had to maintain that he never
escaped from the cabin: the Deadites were just
making him re-live the same nightmare over and
over again. But we couldn’t get the rights to use
anything from the first film. So we reshot the
ending to The Evil Dead and created a kind of
‘alternate reality’ – and that was a bit strange I
guess. But, hey, we did the best we could [laughs].
As far as I was concerned this was like Bruce’s
‘day two’ of being stuck in the same cabin.”
Consequently, to many fans, Evil Dead II is
widely seen to be more akin to a glossier remake
of its predecessor as opposed to an outright
continuation. The only difference, aside from a
notably larger budget, is that the sequel doesn’t
attempt to be scary and instead aims to tickle the
funny bone…
“That was all Sam’s influence,” confirms
Spiegel. “Basically I had done a short film called
Attack Of The Helping Hand. It was about a hand
attacking this housewife as she is attempting

Although less well known than Sam Raimi, Scott

Spiegel has sliced out quite a cult-career in fear
for himself. He directed 1989’s slasher flick
Intruder (which features on-camera turns from
Raimi and Bruce Campbell) and, through
introducing his pal Quentin Tarantino to the film’s
producer, became a big part of Reservoir Dogs
being made (he has a “special thanks” on several
Tarantino films as a consequence). Tarantino
would repay the favour by co-producing Hostel
and Hostel II with Spiegel (who recently directed a
third instalment) and also handing him the
directorial duties of From Dusk Till Dawn 2 (1999).

Those chains
won’t last long...

88 SFX presents Horror Subscribe at www.sfx.co.uk/subscriptions

 EVIL DEAD II
Choose your own gag
about Bruce Campbell
having a big chopper.

When the time came to embark on Army Of

Darkness, which was released to cinemas in 1992,
Spiegel was not present on script duties. The
answer for this, however, is down to a date with
Dirty Harry himself…
“Sam asked me to write Army Of Darkness and I
would have jumped at that opportunity,” says
Spiegel. “But I was writing a movie for Clint
Eastwood called The Rookie. I would have loved to
have done Army Of Darkness but, hey, you can’t
turn down Clint, right?”

A young man
with a big future
ahead of him…

to make dinner. It goes up her skirt, flips her raped by the tree and both of them just looked he was going to have to fall down stairs and stuff!
the finger, causes all kinds of carnage and she at Sam and I in utter disgust. I pointed to Sam I love his performance in Evil Dead II. I adore the
eventually has to stick it in a blender. Sam was and said, ‘Hey, he directed it, not me!’ They got fact that all the way through the movie you keep
even an actor in it – he played a milkman! Well really pissed off. Anyway, as a humorous aside, asking yourself if Bruce Campbell is crazy or not.
Sam said to me ‘Evil Dead II is going to be Evil Holly defended her reaction by saying ‘I’m no There are times in that film where you have to
Dead meets Attack Of The Helping Hand’. Right prude either, Sam – I did a horror movie called pause and think ‘Wow, is this actually happening
away I got it. I knew exactly what movie he or is this guy just stark raving mad?’”
was talking about. And that is why, for the first
half hour of Evil Dead II, it is basically Bruce
Campbell vs his possessed cut-off hand.”
“Sam opened it However, despite the inevitable success that
greeted the film in the UK (at the time of its

up – he made it more
release the first Evil Dead had been banned
As a result, Evil Dead II was widely seen to be as a “video nasty” – which only increased the
riding the genre wave of the time, following in anticipation among eager fear-fans), the splatter-
the footsteps of such effects-heavy zom-coms
as 1985’s The Return Of The Living Dead and the
first Re-Animator movie.
accessible to women” filled sequel proved to be Deadite-on-arrival with
US audiences…
“I remember that another horror movie
“It is interesting that people see it as a classic The Burning, and they banned that in the UK called Witchboard kicked our butts at the box
horror comedy because originally I was trying to too.’ So that was really funny. We put that on office,” says Spiegel of the barely-remembered
make the script a little darker,” mentions Spiegel. after The Evil Dead and had a great little double- supernatural schlocker. “I was left thinking ‘what
“But Sam had his own reasoning, and I think bill [laughs].” the heck? Man, that’s not right’. I think the reason
he was totally right. For example, I wanted the Alas, Raimi and Spiegel’s other high school we didn’t do so well in the cinemas was because
blood in Evil Dead II to be more like real blood friend, Rob Tapert – the man who produced we were probably a couple of years too late.
but Sam said, ‘No, no, this has to be over the top. all three Evil Dead instalments – ruled against Maybe some people had heard of The Evil Dead
I don’t want any more censorship problems’. Holly Hunter’s role as a horror heroine. but I think by then there was a new breed of fans
That’s why the blood is green in Evil Dead II “Rob said, ‘Nah, we can’t have Holly – we need who were into Freddy and just didn’t know who
[laughs]. But my script was a little creepier. Sam a little hottie in that role,’” laughs Spiegel. “Now, we were.”
opened it up though – he made the film more personally speaking, I thought Holly fit that Yet Evil Dead II, much like the original outing,
accessible to people, especially women.” description just perfectly. But they went with went on to become a fixture of video shops and
At the time, Spiegel was not only sharing someone else. But just think of what could word of mouth soon turned it into a must-see
flat space with Raimi but also with two future have been…” movie for a whole generation of gore-buffs who
fixtures of Academy Award-approved acting Of course, Spiegel also has some fond recognised its bloody brilliance. “It turned out so
performances. In fact, as the writer reveals, Evil memories of working alongside his old friend well,” agrees Spiegel. “It was amazing because
Dead II was all set to have a far loftier femme Bruce Campbell, another graduate of the same here were Sam, Bruce, Rob and me – it was this
fatale playing opposite Bruce Campbell. high school and someone who worked in a meat- quartet of high school friends making a movie.
packing establishment alongside the budding And Sam has had the last laugh because every year
choosing the cast writer back in his teens. the Evil Dead movies seem to attract new fans. It’s
“At the time Sam and I shared a flat with Holly “Bruce has always been a very cool guy,” a franchise that just gets bigger and bigger as time
Hunter and Frances McDormand,” recalls relates Spiegel. “His main concern was just goes on… Man, if Sam ever wants to do a proper
Spiegel. “And Holly was originally going to be the keeping his body in shape. I remember he Evil Dead IV then he knows I’m up for it too.
female lead in the sequel so we decided to show moaned about having to eat a lot of tuna fish What I’d most like to see though is an Evil Dead
them both the first film. Well, man, it got to that [laughs]. At first he was going to do his own amusement park ride. What do you guys think of
scene in the first Evil Dead where the girl gets stunts but he changed his mind when he realised that?” One word: groovy.

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 89

 POLTERGEIST
POLTERGEIST

1982

POLTERGEIST
They’re heeeeeeeere...! Calum Waddell makes sure the television is
switched off, and keeps well away from any blue-eyed, blonde-haired
children, for a look back at one of the finest fear films ever created...

I
t’s one of those age-old celluloid (1981) and, post-Spielberg, helmed the mega- was telling me that he was at MGM and he was
conundrums that, some 32 years after the budgeted SF farce Lifeforce (1985). about to do a film with Steven Spielberg. Then
fact, shows no sign of disappearing: just And when sandwiched between these two he said that he wanted to talk to me about it.
who exactly did direct Poltergeist? terror titles, Poltergeist suddenly does not It was like a gift from the gods. I went over
Those who insist that producer Steven seem too out of place in the Hooper oeuvre. there and he told me a little about Poltergeist
Spielberg is the real talent behind 1982’s Yet, one thing is for sure – when it comes – it was a haunted house movie but, instead
horror hit probably refer curiosity-seekers to this classic creeper, neither director nor of being set on the top of a hill, it was based
to the ragged, by-the-teeth, budgetarily- producer like to speak up about it (both are in the middle of suburbia. It sounded very
challenged backwoods terror of Tobe Hooper’s missing from so-called “special edition” DVD different. But Tobe’s biggest worry at that time
most famous feature, The Texas Chain Saw releases). Thankfully, Craig Reardon – the man was creating this entity which, in the script, is
Massacre (1974). Although a certified scare- behind Poltergeist’s superb make-up effects referred to as a ‘horror head’. Ironically, that’s
classic, the poverty stricken production values work – is more forthcoming when he sits the one thing that I built which never made
and unrelenting, ultra-vicious violence hardly down with SFX. it into the picture [laughs]. As far as working
seem comparable to the widescreen suburban “The last thing I expected was the way that with Tobe though... it was a pleasure. I like
beauty and visual razzle dazzle that highlights film happened,” begins the special effects him very much and the reason I got that show
Poltergeist. Yet, such critics probably fail to wizard, whose blockbuster-sized work also was down to him. Period.”
consider that the same man who brought includes The Goonies, Dick Tracy and The
us Leatherface also graduated onto the X-Files. “I came home and there was a message family strife
technically adept, cinemascope shocks of the on the answer machine. Tobe Hooper, who I The story of the middle-class Freeling family
Universal-produced slasher The Funhouse had previously worked with on The Funhouse, who witness their daughter (the tragically
short-lived Heather O’Rourke) being abducted
by spirits, Poltergeist would become a cause
célèbre around Hollywood – with Spielberg

THE REAL-LIFE HORROR STORY Becoming the subject of what would Sadly, at just 12 years of age, during
even forced to take out advertisements in
the trade papers in order to insist upon
Hooper’s authorship of the picture. However,
while Poltergeist gave Spielberg the chance
be known as “The Poltergeist the making of 1988’s shambolic to employ a lot of his old friends (including
Curse”, child actress Heather Poltergeist III, O’Rourke would die Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall on
O’Rourke shot to stardom, aged just from “cardiopulmonary arrest and producing duties and Close Encounters/1941
seven years old, in the Spielberg intestinal stenosis”. Her Poltergeist editor Michael Kahn), Reardon represents
production and returned to her best co-star, Dominique Dunne, would one of the holdovers from Hooper’s work
known role for 1986’s financially also meet an untimely death: – alongside another make-up maverick
successful, but critically lambasted murdered 19 days before her 23rd in Dorothy Pearl (who had been on The
sequel, Poltergeist II: The Other Side. birthday by an ex-boyfriend. Texas Chain Saw Massacre). Nevertheless,

90 SFX presents Horror Subscribe at www.sfx.co.uk/subscriptions

 “The story of the middle-class
Freeling family who witness their
daughter being abducted by spirits,
Poltergeist would become a cause
célèbre around Hollywood”
© MGM/Everett/Rex Features

She really didn’t

want to go to school.
POLTERGEIST

He may look scary, but he listens to Coldplay.

as production intensified on the feature,

Hooper’s biggest budgeted work to date,
Reardon did notice a considerable influence of
the hands of Spielberg.
“The nature of my job had me in a
workshop for a lot of the shoot,” he admits.
“But whenever I was on the set Spielberg was
there. Later I was able to talk my way into
the recording of Jerry Goldsmith’s score and
Steven was there too – making home movies.”
So was this presence ever a burden
on Hooper?
“I would say that Steven is an enthusiast,”
states Reardon. “He is not an old-time movie
mogul who sits in his office and I don’t think
Tobe was ever in a position to say ‘get that
guy off my set’ in a typical, ballsy, Hollywood
tough guy manner. Besides which, that’s a
good way to politic yourself out of the business The look of the floating
[laughs]. Tobe was always very deferential to
corpses were inspired
by EC Comics.
Steven and it is true that I did see things being
set up by Spielberg and he was also involved
with talking to the actors. I never saw him
say action or cut – Tobe did that. But in some wanted the actor to do, but he didn’t always time – but 1941 didn’t do so good and he had
instances you were left with the impression have the words. There are different kinds of taken that to heart. So he had just done Raiders
that is all he was permitted to do.” directors, though – William Wyler, one of the Of The Lost Ark for George Lucas and he had
The reason for this, however, may have old Hollywood greats, is famous for having turned over a whole new leaf on making that.
as much to do with Tobe’s manners than almost nothing to say to actors except, ‘Do it It was just about to be released – and we were
anything else – as Reardon maintains. again’. And those who were brave enough to all invited to see it before Poltergeist started,
“Tobe always had a lot of good ideas,” say, ‘Am I doing it right?’ would only hear ‘I’ll which really made everyone go into the shoot
continues Reardon. “Now, I’ve worked with let you know.’” with the best of expectations. Spielberg was
directors where you would be hard pressed As such, Reardon speculates that perhaps particularly energised because, unlike 1941
to get one good idea from them. But Tobe is the shoot of Poltergeist was simply not moving which got dogged down with production
a gentle soul who, I think, functions best in along at the sort of speed that Steven Spielberg difficulties, he went through Raiders like a
an atmosphere where he is given a courteous was hoping for. pile driver. Well, doesn’t this suggest that
distance and has the chance to work through “If there was a sense that Spielberg was when he went onto Poltergeist he wanted to
his film the way he wants. Sometimes, when injecting himself more and more, it was less keep that pace up? My feeling is that he might
working with actors, I saw him being a bit to do with Tobe as a director than it was he have been piling some expectations onto Tobe
inhibited in dealing with them. He had the maybe wasn’t moving along fast enough. that perhaps he was not aware of or that Tobe
image that he wanted, and he knew what he Spielberg had this winning streak for a long could not fulfil.”

unhappy medium
Moreover, to make matters worse, the late
Ghosts, fine. But
trees... yikes! Zelda Rubinstein – who played Tangina, the
medium through which the spirits that inhabit
the Freeling family home make contact –
would insist until her dying day that Spielberg
was the man who was calling the shots
throughout the shoot.
“Well, she would know who she was
directed by,” admits Reardon. “But that is
one person’s opinion and when you work on
movies you find that you get a lot of different
feedback – ‘I loved him’, ‘He’s an asshole’,
you hear it all. I can tell you that I had many
conversations with Tobe once I had the job
on Poltergeist. I would prepare drawings and
I would present my work to both Steven and
“Is something wrong Tobe. They were both selective.”
with my face?”

92 SFX presents Horror

 POLTERGEIST

“Poltergeist would quickly go

down as one of the greatest screen
ghost stories of all time,
eventually spawning two sequels
as well as a television franchise”

Don’t you open that

front door...

That said, at least one gruesome moment in looking. They just don’t look threatening
Poltergeist, commonly thought to be straight enough and I knew the way the scenes were
from the brain matter of Hooper, actually written that we had to think that they might
originated from the effects department... be alive – you were not supposed to grasp
“I made life harder on myself with my what was going on in that scene. That was very
friend Mike MacKenzie, who was working important to Spielberg too. I said to Tobe, ‘We
with me,” recalls Reardon. “He said, ‘Wouldn’t can do it totally realistic or we can make it
it be amazing if, in the scene where the a bit more like an EC comic book,’ and Tobe
parapsychologist looks in the mirror, his liked the latter idea. Which is great – that is
face fell apart?’ Now, originally he was only exactly what you want from a director. You
supposed to see a corpse in the mirror but I don’t want a wishy-washy director who says,
The Crypt Keeper makes thought, ‘Wow, that is much better. That’s a lot ‘Oh, why don’t you show me various versions?
an uncredited cameo.
of work but it would be a real show stopper.’ I’ll choose one after seeing them all.’ That’s
So I called up the production office, got just masturbation and it wastes time.”
Kathleen Kennedy and she laughed because Thankfully, despite any on-set problems,
she was enthused and she said, ‘I’ll talk to Poltergeist would quickly go down as one
Steven and get back to you.’ Within half an of the greatest screen ghost stories of all
hour she called me back and said, ‘Spielberg time, eventually spawning two (subpar and
loves it but he wants it to look as good as Spielberg-less) sequels as well as a television
Alien’, which had made a big impression in franchise. Meanwhile, despite rumours of a
the industry because of its gruesome, slimy, fall out, Hooper and Spielberg actually would
No, not guaranteed to bloody practical effects. I said, ‘Oh, it will be,’ reunite in the future (albeit on a smaller scale)
cause nightmares at all.
and that had nothing to do with Tobe. Yet that with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
scene is often said to be his trademark moment maestro taking the helm of the pilot instalment
in Poltergeist.” of Taken and also directing an episode of
Other grisly special effects work faced Amazing Stories. Yet, with Spielberg’s moving
Reardon during Poltergeist’s freaky finale – on to Oscar wins and blockbuster after
when the contents of an old Indian burial blockbuster and Hooper navigating a path that
ground begins to spew out of the earth... concludes with, well, Crocodile and a remake
“The corpses that come out of the ground of The Toolbox Murders, the chances of a
were particularly gruesome,” laughs the artist. future reunion seem somewhat far-fetched...
“I discussed the look of the corpses with “I would work with Tobe again in a
Tobe and I brought him a book on the famous moment,” concludes Reardon. “Tobe was great
mummies of Guanajuato, Mexico. Over there, on The Funhouse and, I think, if he could have
they have dead people on display, and they done it at his own pace he would have been
Is this Poltergeist or are appalling but oddly constipated and inert fine on Poltergeist too.”
Close Encounters?

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THE THING

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 THE THING

1982

How come John Carpenter’s The Thing was a

disaster on release but is now recognised as his
masterpiece? Luke Dormehl explains all Rethinking
The Thing
T
wenty-nine years ago this summer, William summer. A month earlier Vincent Canby, influential Carpenter’s film is a great achievement
Parente, film critic for The Scotsman, sat film critic of The New York Times, had dismissed
down to review The Thing, the latest work The Thing as “instant junk”. His review was one of “Movies are a prisoner
from gorehound director John Carpenter. the kind ones. of the time they come
Feeling sick to his stomach at what he had out in,” says John
witnessed, he wrote a furious review which MONSTERS IN OUR MIDST Carpenter. “Some films
he hoped would dissuade others from plopping “Science fiction had a major impact on me as a seem to last beyond that
down their hard-earned £1.50 on a cinema ticket kid,” Carpenter tells SFX in an exclusive interview. time however. Luckily
to see a film that, he felt, scraped the bottom of “Huge. I was born in 1948 and I grew up in the ’50s, that’s what happened
the human decency barrel. “The only avenue left when there was just this gigantic sci-fi monster with The Thing. It’s had
to explore would seem to be either concentration movie boom.” an afterlife because of
camp documentaries or the snuff movie,” Parente Although the original The Thing From Another home video.” Indeed,
concluded bitterly. He was, popular re-evaluation World (a movie which was based on John W since the film’s release in
would suggest, wrong in his judgment – just as Campbell's novella, The Thing From Another 1982 it has undergone a
the then-common appraisal of Carpenter as a World) was later deemed “culturally significant” vigorous critical
director with a predilection only for movie blood by the United States Library of Congress, its reappraisal: somehow jumping from one of the
and guts was also incorrect. Sadly he wasn’t alone year’s worst films, to one of the decade’s – and
in his opinion: a lot of film critics were wrong that Carpenter’s – greatest achievements. “The Thing is
a very sophisticated film,” says Dr Ian Conrich of
Images © The Kobal Collection (2)

“The film critic of

Essex University, who co-authored 2005’s The
Cinema Of John Carpenter: The Technique Of
Terror. “The cinematography, the design, the music,

The New York Times the effects, the way in which the actors work
together, all combine to lift it out of the B-movie
category in which many of Carpenter’s films sit. In

dismissed it as a canon of horror films from the New Wave, which

started in the late 1970s and went through the
1980s, it is one of the best productions. In terms of

‘instant junk’” “Snowball fight!” ‘spectacular’ horror it is arguably the best.”

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THE THING
A song of ice and fire, the lyrics of
which go “Ow! Shit! Put me out!”

Bet they all wished they’d

stayed at home now.

own initial reviews were also fairly dismal. “The idea that you could put a hot wire on blood

Remaking
“The resourcefulness shown in building the and the creature would run from it because it’s not
plot groundwork is lacking as the yarn gets into human. I hadn’t seen that anywhere in a movie
full swing,” complained one reviewer; perhaps up until that point. I thought, well I could do

Carpenter
Directors are continuing to revisit the director’s CV
wondering why, in 1951, they couldn’t make
horror films as intelligent as the ones they used to.
The movie did, however, make an impression on
something with that scene! So I jumped in.”

THINGS GOING BUMP IN THE NIGHT

Carpenter; then a young film buff living in Bowling For a mainstream film, the sombre mood of
The last few years have seen several of Green, Kentucky. For one thing it was (ghost) Carpenter’s The Thing may have been almost
Carpenter’s films remade, by everyone from Rob directed by Howard Hawks, a personal favourite unprecedentedly bleak, but the real innovation
Zombie (who directed 2003’s dreadful House Of of Carpenter’s. For another it was, in his words, was the creature itself. Michael Myers had been
1000 Corpses) to Rupert Wainwright (best known “popcorn-flying scary”. nicknamed “The Shape” in Halloween, but that
for helming MC Hammer’s “2 Legit 2 Quit” video, By the early ’80s, however, The Thing From concept was taken to terrifying new heights here,
who directed The Fog remake). So how does he Another World, though an admittedly entertaining thanks both to the director’s own vision, and the
feel about this? “It feels fabulous,” the director picture, appeared as dated to modern audiences as nightmarish special make-up effects of then-22-
says, with a chuckle. “It feels even better when they references to “popcorn-flying scary” in a post- year-old Rob Bottin. “Rob had been the assistant to
pay me. I’m interested that they get made. But I Exorcist era of reported heart attacks and fainting Rick Baker, and they had worked together doing An
don’t want to have to sit through them.” in the cinema during Alien. Carpenter, off the American Werewolf In London,” Carpenter says. “I
Then there was a the 2011’s The Thing, which, back of directing the highly successful Halloween, had first met him on The Fog, and he was a real nice
technically wasn’t a remake but a prequel, though was one of the leaders of this new generation of guy; kind of a young fan who wanted to get into the
you’re left pretty much splitting hairs to spot the horror filmmakers. “A guy I knew, Stuart Cowen, special make-up effects business. He came to me,
difference. Carpenter himself has remained approached me and said that Universal had the and he had a concept for ‘The Thing’ itself. His idea
surprisingly quiet about what he thinks about the rights to The Thing, and he had suggested me as a was real simple, but it was completely different
final film, though he was quite vocal befiore its director,” he recalls. “I had mixed feelings about it, from anybody else’s – and that was ‘The Thing’ can
release about how he hadn’t been contacted at all to be honest. Simply because the original was one of look like anything. It doesn’t have to look like one
by anyone on the proiduction team, saying, “They my favourite films and I loved it dearly. So I wasn’t creature. It keeps changing all the time.”
treated me like the lackey I am… There are two sure if I should do it. But it would have been my This invention had been toyed with by the rapid
kinds of remakes of my films – the good kind, and first big studio film, so I tried it.” lifecycle of Alien’s xenemorph (which grows from
the bad kind. They just did a prequel to The Thing. When he signed on, Carpenter decided to go a “chestburster” to a full size humanoid in a short
That’s the bad kind because I don’t have any rights back to the original source material – the 1938 space of time) but that was nothing compared
in it, so they don’t pay me. If they do Escape from Astounding Stories novella by John W Campbell to the shape-shifting creature Carpenter put on
New York or They Live I get a cheque. Something (writing under the penname Don A Stuart), entitled screen. “There’s an old Hollywood mantra that
that I’ve wanted to do all my life is to make money “Who Goes There?” – much of which had been if you’re making a movie about a monster you
doing nothing.” scrapped in the story’s first screen incarnation. should never show it,” Carpenter says. “Which I
“There was one particular passage which I loved think is horseshit. The first transformation in the
dearly, and that was the blood test scene,” he says. film, which takes place in the kennel with the dog

Wonder what could possibly happen

to this lot in the prequel…? What exactly are you looking
for in there mate?

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 THE THING

MacReady discovers
a ready-frozen
Norwegian.

“It’s about the end

transforming into something; people thought they his apocalyptic film and Spielberg’s happier, more
saw all kinds of things in that creature. People commercial vision. “One is kind of a downbeat end
thought that they saw just ghastly images. They of the world story. The other has themes of hope
projected their own horror into it.”
Equally impressive was the all-male cast
assembled by Carpenter (the only actress in the
of the world. and joy. Which one are you going to see?”
The US box office results spoke for themselves.
The Thing, produced on a budget of $15 million
film is the director’s wife, Adrienne Barbeau, who
plays an uncredited female computer voice), which
features an all-time career best performance from
AlThough don’t tell scraped its way to a paltry $19,629,760 in rentals.
ET, on the other hand, despite a production budget
of just two thirds that of Carpenter’s film, phoned
Kurt Russell.
Filming between August and December 1981 – in
part in the freezing outdoor conditions of Alaska
anybody that” home to the tune of $792,910,554. Carpenter refers
to it as “the second Summer of Love”. What does he
think of ET today? “You know, I haven’t seen it in so
and Stewart, British Columbia – The Thing was film’s release was nothing short of disastrous. many years,” he says, clearly uncomfortable about
a tough shoot. Even buoyed by the relatively big “I take every failure hard, but this was the one I the subject. “I’ve only watched parts of it. So I
budget backing of Universal (“You didn’t have to took the hardest,” Carpenter has said. “My career really don’t know.” Another film trodden underfoot
scrimp and save so much,” says Carpenter, who, would have been different if The Thing had been a by Spielberg’s creature feature, released in the US
by this point, was used to working in the indie big hit.” Even the director of the 1951 original The on the same day as The Thing, was a little-known
film trenches. “It was great. It was just great”) Thing From Another World went out of his way to sci-fi flick going by the name of Blade Runner.
the production had to navigate some definite criticise the misfire: “He thought it was too violent, In the aftermath of The Thing’s disastrous box
challenges. At one point the cameras, which had too overt, too explicit. That was the criticism about office performance, Carpenter was, in his own
become so acclimatised to shooting in the cold that movie in general. That I had gone too far.” words, “fired” from his next film. From his point of
that they had to be left outside, almost froze up In terms of competition, The Thing’s chief view there was a lot to second guess. Universal had
completely. Does Carpenter have any favourite adversary at the cinema proved not to be a heated always been down on the film’s ending, which they
stories from filming? “I have a lot,” he says with piece of wire, but a cute alien – also the work of wanted him to change. “I wasn’t so inclined,” says
a chuckle. “But most of them should never be Universal Pictures – going by the name of ET The Carpenter, although perhaps the box office results
printed, for fear of hurting the innocent.” Extra-Terrestrial. In retrospect, putting out the two would have been better had he relented, and gone
otherworldly films the same summer as each other with the novella’s clear-cut sense of closure (the
ALL GOOD THINGS seems a disastrous oversight. Despite apparently creature is destroyed). Or perhaps not. Nobody will
Today John Carpenter considers The Thing to being targeted at different audiences (ET was an ever know now for sure.
be his masterpiece. “It was a character study of unabashed kids’ movie, while The Thing was clearly All John Carpenter could do was shake his head,
paranoia among these guys,” he says. “It expanded adult science fiction) the former film appealed to and ponder how things could have been different.
my directing abilities... I really liked the film’s entire families, while the latter – certainly if one To echo the last line of The Thing, in which the film’s
structure; it kind of has a sombre mood to it. I goes from the reviews – ought to appeal solely to survivors – stranded miles from civilisation and not
mean, it’s about the end of the world. Although cat stranglers and puppy drowners. entirely trusting each other – give in to fate and share
don’t tell anybody that.” Alas, someone told people “I mean, just look at the dynamic between the a drink; their future uncertain: “Why don’t we just
that, as the box office reception which met the two,” Carpenter says of the difference between wait here for a little while... see what happens...”

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 97

TREMORS

I
1990

TREM
was working as an editor for the Navy,
who had a desert base in the Mojave,
and on weekends the ranges were open
to the employees. One day I was sitting
out there on these boulders and thought
how interesting it would be if there was
something that could move through the sand
like a fish and I couldn’t get off the rock. This
was in 1975 and I jotted the idea down and
filed it away.”
Steve “SS” Wilson is explaining to SFX the
moment when the idea first came to him for
what would, 15 years later, become one of the
best-loved comedy-horror films of the ’90s,
Tremors. Starring Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward
as Val McKee and Earl Bassett, two handymen
Before Time, Batteries Not Included and Bigfoot
caper Harry And The Hendersons.
“We discovered on Short Circuit that as
writers we were shut out of the filmmaking
process,” says Wilson. “Our agent told us to go
into our list of ideas to set us up as producers
on one of them. One of those was ‘Land
Sharks’, based on the idea I’d had in ’75, and
she liked it. It asked what would happen if a
small town was attacked, like in Invasion Of
The Saucer Men, and the only people to solve
the problem are the two local handymen who
they look to to solve all their problems. That’s
how Val and Earl were created.”
After numerous failed attempts to sell their
draft script, it eventually found its way to the
it into production, with the last piece of the
puzzle being the studio insisting we had to
get Kevin Bacon. We had this very fretful day
when Ron Underwood, the director, went off
to meet with Kevin and he finally said yes, so
we got our money.”

All in the family

Universal also asked that the filmmakers
read people available to them, one of whom,
Michael Gross, was best known at the time
for starring in hit TV show Family Ties and
who the studio thought would help in the
film’s marketing as survivalist Burt Gummer.
According to Wilson, Gross “blew us away”.
Now safely out of development hell,
in a small Nevada town who encounter desk of an executive at Universal, Jim Jacks. production was ready to begin in summer
strange goings-on under the ground, the film “Jim got us in to see the studio heads and got ’89 on a script titled Beneath Perfection.
was a gloriously tongue-in-cheek throwback
to the kind of ’50s B-movies that had long
since gone out of fashion.
Used to shooting on 8mm since the age
of 12, by the early ’80s Wilson was making
educational films for schools with his writing
partner, Brent Maddock, noting that they
“were always trying to bend the rules and get
a sense of humour into things”. It was in ’86
that Wilson and Maddock sold their sci-fi
comedy script Short Circuit, soon making
their way to Steven Spielberg’s Amblin on
fondly remembered projects such as The Land
You’d be a bit fighty too if you looked like that.

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 ORS
TREMORS

Jonathan Melville
trembles with
excitement
remembering
the ground-shaking
monster movie

“We thought that a quirky movie should exclusively on CGI the way so many current have an office when production began. “I’m
have a quirky title. Tom Pollack, the head of films do. Tremors and its sequels always still astonished when I look at it – you just
Universal, said, ‘You’re going to do something employed miniatures, puppetry and monsters can’t tell they were miniatures,” says Wilson.
to do with the ground shaking – how about in three dimensions.” The decision not to reveal the Graboids’
Tremors?’. To this day none of us particularly Ah yes, the monsters. Dubbed “Graboids” by origins came from Wilson having watched
like it.” the film’s characters, the snake-like creatures hundreds of science fiction movies. “I
For Michael Gross, the dominant memory were created by effects company ADI’s Tom realised early on that there were only four
of filming was “how much fun it was… It was Woodruff and Alec Gillis, who didn’t even explanations. They’re created by radioactivity!
hard work, yes, but I was delighted to be
surrounded by such a wonderful cast. Steve

“there were seven drafts of the script. in

and Brent had a marvellous script, but they
were very much open to suggestions and
changes up until the last frame of film had
been shot, making the entire experience feel
like one grand collaborative adventure.” the early ones they were more comedic,
and not working as a horror film”
Much of the film’s success came from the
humour shot through the script. “There were
seven drafts,” says Wilson.
“In the early ones they were more comedic,
and not working as a horror film. We ended
up pulling the humour out of it and leaving in They’re supernatural demons! They’re from
Images © The Kobal Collection (8)

only the humour that naturally came out of outer space! They’ve always been here and
the situation.” we’ve just never seen them before! Universal
“The Tremors films have almost created insisted we write the explanation in. They
a new genre unto themselves; they are to went for outer space and we wrote a scene
monster movies what the Naked Gun films where Burt is out driving and comes across
were to cop flicks,” suggests Gross. “Our the broken spaceship with the open pods and
tongues are always firmly planted in our he’s able to radio to the folks in town that he
cheeks, and the most serious of circumstances knows where they come from. When the new
are presented in an offbeat way. I think the pages reached the set, the entire crew stood up
movies were popular because they didn’t rely against it and we had the sequence removed.”
The Tremors cast take time out during filming.

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TREMORS
Tremors was a land-based Jaws with jokes.
Image © The Kobal Collection (1)

Tremors was finally unleashed upon the

American cinema-going public on 19 January
Universal was quietly developing a home video
division, where Tremors took off. Big time. “It “it was on the small
screen that the film
1990, the publicity playing on the comedy that was huge,” laughs Wilson. “We got a back-
the team had tried hard to underplay. Box handed compliment from them when they

came into its own”

office takings weren’t as healthy as hoped for; said, ‘Look, we could sell an empty video box
from an $11 million budget, the film grossed called Tremors, we have to have a sequel.’
$17 million. “Tom called me and said, ‘we blew “They said that if we could get Kevin back it
the ad campaign’. They sold it as a comedy would be a feature, if not it would go straight
more than they should have.” to video. We begged Kevin and the irony is
that, great as Kevin is, he was not a huge fan which Val and Earl were running an ostrich
finding its true home of Tremors. He considered it a low point in his farm. We had Fred back; his only request was
Things may not have been great for Tremors career. Kevin said to us: ‘When people speak to that he got to keep his hair long. Michael was
on the big screen, but it was on the small me about it they never say how great you were, delighted to come back.”
screen that the film would come into its they say how cool the worms were!’ After numerous outings in the role, does
own. Unbeknownst to Wilson and Maddock, “We wrote Kevin out of the first draft, in Gross feel he now sports any of Burt’s
personality traits? “There’s very definitely
a part of me that has Burt’s over‑developed
sense of impending misfortune,” the actor
muses. “I’m also half-Irish, which may help
explain things: William Butler Yeats famously
said of a certain character, ‘Being Irish, he had
an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained
him through temporary periods of joy.’ That
sounds a bit like Burt, does it not?”
High sales of Tremors 2: Aftershocks on VHS
in 1996 led to Universal requesting Tremors 3:
Back To Perfection in 2001. When part three
A Graboid manages to snag an early lunch. became an even bigger success, Wilson and

Kevin Bacon rocking the haircut of a ’90s Troll doll.

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 TREMORS
game.
A few more links in the Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon

Kicking up dust in a short-run series

“There were a couple of
really bad decisions
made,” says Steve Wilson
of Sci-Fi (now Syfy)
channel’s Tremors: The
Series. “We wanted to
shoot in New Mexico, but
Sci-Fi said, ‘You’ll shoot
in Mexico, in six days not
seven,’ which any other
normal show would get.”
Perhaps worst of all,
episodes were
transmitted out of order. “That was a battle we lost,”
admits Wilson. “The second episode was supposed
to be ‘Shriek And Destroy’ and the director had
difficulty with the full-size Shrieker props. You either
fix the problems and move forward or change the
episode order, which we’d constructed to be shown
in a certain way. Sci-Fi said, ‘We don’t care.’”
“All the network seemed to want was a
monster-of-the-week series, which became
uncomfortably formulaic to me,” says Michael Gross.
“Though I was sorry to put Burt to rest after just 13
episodes, I didn’t miss the mismatch of ideas. I’m still
surprised how a network can hire a great creative
team and tell them, ‘We’ve hired you because of the
wonderful things you’ve done – don’t do them any
more!’ It was very frustrating.”

a day out?
Sun, sand, guns... what more could you want on

al.
A shot from the hithero unknown Tremors: The Music It's not looking good for this guy, is it?

Maddock were faced with an ultimatum: From Down Under was in development. “A filmmaker could hope for. With the series
Tremors 4 was happening, with or without producer came to us and said he could get we lost control, which was frustrating and
them. “When you write a screenplay and sell the money to make Tremors 5. In it, Burt goes disappointing, and that part of the giant
it, your contract says you sell ‘all the rights to Australia and he meets a young guy who odyssey was a bit of a disappointment. But
in any form of distribution now in existence he moulds into a version of himself. Burt’s a overall it’s been great fun.”
or herein after invented throughout the bit of a lone mercenary, the one guy you can So would Gross (now 67) ever consider a
universe’. So if I did something with Tremors call on, and he’s tired of being called. All the return to the role of the iconic Burt Gummer
On Mars they could sue me.” incarnations appear to thwart him. Talks one last time? “I’ve yet to set eyes on a
were underway between the producer and Tremors 5 script,” he states. “I’d love to play
The aftershocks Universal, but no agreement was reached.” Burt more than one last time if it were a
Tremors 4: The Legend Begins, a 2004 prequel Wilson, now an award-winning writer good script and the original team were still
set in the Wild West, didn’t do as well as the of books for young adults, remains buoyant, involved. If someone other than the original
previous instalments, while a short-lived TV if a little wistful about the whole Tremors creative team came up with a good Tremors
series (see top right) ended almost as soon as experience. “We can’t complain because screenplay, then let’s just say that I’d be
it had begun. For a while Tremors 5: Thunder on Tremors 1 to 4 we had all the control a awfully surprised.”

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THE SHINING

1980

The Shining
In 1980 Stanley Kubrick adapted Stephen King’s The Shining to the big screen
and won only a Golden Raspberry nomination for it. Three and a half decades
later and the film is considered a classic – as Calum Waddell explains

H
eeeeeeeeeeeere’s Johnny! When it comes stir-fried crazy from the second that he first graces
to iconic horror movie moments, the sight the screen. It was as if Kubrick screamed, “Subtlety
of a nutty Jack Nicholson, axe in hand, be damned!” – and directed his main actor with this
smashing his way through a wooden door very motto in mind.
surely ranks right alongside Psycho’s “The real problem is that Kubrick set out to make
shocking shower sequence, The Exorcist’s a horror picture with no apparent understanding
famous head-spinning scene and John Hurt of the genre,” claimed Stephen King at the time.
spewing forth an extra-terrestrial nasty from his “Everything about it screams that from beginning
tummy in Alien. However, there is so much more to the end, from plot decisions to the final scene.”
to The Shining than just its leading man’s frantic Ouch.
overacting. Indeed, from the subliminal images When SFX reads this quote out to The Shining’s
that Kubrick peppers throughout his bizarre blood executive producer, Jan Harlan (who is also
Highway to hell: the Torrance
family head to the hotel.
opera ( just what is that man in the bear costume the brother of Kubrick’s widow Christiane), his
doing?), to the frankly jaw-dropping beauty of reaction is somewhat priceless...
the script’s claustrophobic Colorado winter “Well that’s his problem,” snorts the German- Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut,
wonderland, The Shining may well be one of the born Harlan, whose production credits also include as well as Spielberg’s AI. “I know that Stephen
most unconventional genre projects in history. King did not like what we did with The Shining,”
Just think about it: a cast of three main players, he continues, speaking to SFX at a retro-showing
no bloody deaths, a joke-spouting protagonist and of The Shining at the annual Sitges Film Festival.
a plot which makes little coherent sense... is it any “However, if he felt like this then he should not
wonder that Stephen King threw a wobbly when have signed a contract under which Stanley could
he saw the finished adaptation of his beloved book? make his own changes to the source material.”
Gone, after all, was the notion of a living, breathing, Ultimately, in Harlan’s opinion, Kubrick actually
haunted hotel – in which inanimate objects come to made a film which (if you will pardon the pun)
Images © The Kobal Collection (8)

life and evil spirits possess the soul of a committed outshone the original book.
family man – and in its place were ghoulish twins, “I think that Stanley improved, considerably,
blood-filled elevators and Jack Nicholson acting upon King’s novel – largely because of the
ambiguity that he brought to it,” states the

“If Stephen King didn’t producer. “I realise that some critics said that the
movie of The Shining did not make any sense…
but then why should it? In my opinion ghost films
like the film then should not make any sense. There is no order to this
type of movie!”

that’s his problem” Double trouble in the hotel corridors. In the book the various supernatural presences
are explained via the Overlook Hotel’s history of

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THE SHINING
Either he’s writing
the name of his
favourite horse or…

bourgeois sex parties and decadence; Kubrick offers

no such exposition in the movie. Instead, audiences
are left to wonder exactly why a seemingly scenic
“It’s astonishing how
holiday retreat has turned an already-insane Jack
Nicholson into a man hell-bent on chopping his the film still works
You can’t choose your family…
wife and young son into mincemeat…
“I think the big problem for Stanley was that
Stephen King wrote a typical, conventional horror
on an audience”
story,” mentions Harlan. “What Stanley wanted to crew, everybody on the set… they knew when to be
do, and had the right to do, was to change that so it quiet and stand back. There was silence all the time

Razzie Dazzle
was less conventional. We all still wanted to make during the making of that film. Stanley’s attitude
a very scary horror film, let me make that clear, but was to run the camera and do take after take
what audiences got was a genre movie that was because you never knew what you might get. You
Why not to trust critics largely shot in bright, open daylight. Even now that can never predict what scene will be the standout…
is very rare… but how often do you see a horror film and that was just his style. Shelley Duvall may have
When it was that is as beautiful as The Shining? It was also the felt a little exhausted but she was brilliant and
released in 1980, first time that anyone saw a steadicam used in such Stanley was very happy with her performance.”
The Shining a big, epic way. It was a fresh way of doing things Moreover, even the film’s detractors may have to
notched up a and I thought Stanley did a great job.” admit that The Shining, with its snowy atmosphere
Golden Raspberry and seemingly endless hotel corridors, certainly
nomination for tension on set creates an effective feeling of being trapped in the
“Worst Director” Those who own The Shining on DVD may also middle of nowhere.
and for “Worst have watched the wonderful fly-on-the-wall “The actual Overlook Hotel was a ski resort,”
Actress” (Shelley documentary, which was helmed by Kubrick’s reveals Harlan. “We lived across the road from it
Duvall). then 19-year-old daughter Vivian. This particular and in the morning it felt so desolate. There was no
Amazingly, that piece indicates a notable air of tension on the one around except us. We also had challenges with
same year other set – especially in regards to the film’s stars, Jack the weather. For example, when we filmed after a
films, now also Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, both of whom appear snowfall it was very difficult – especially because
regarded as to be reaching the end of their tether in regards to most of the outdoors stuff was done around the
classics, also Kubrick’s infamous habit of doing take after take hotel. We also filmed in Elstree Studios in London.
obtained a nod for their supposed lousiness – after take… A lot of the shots that are inside the hotel were
including Friday The 13th, the Al Pacino thriller “I think that Jack loved making it,” smiles actually done there – on a soundstage – but I would
Cruising and Brian De Palma’s Dressed To Kill. Harlan in response. “I wouldn’t worry about be surprised if anyone noticed [laughs].”
Compare this fine lot to what swept up at the that aspect of the film too much. Jack had a very When The Shining was released to cinemas in
Oscars that year (the weary weepie Ordinary good relationship with Stanley and, believe it or the summer of 1980, moviegoers were enthralled by
People) and it becomes evident that anyone not, sometimes they also rehearsed before these the blockbuster success of The Empire Strikes Back.
seeking quality entertainment would have been multiple takes [laughs]. However, Stanley was a Interestingly, the second biggest hit that season
better advised to look towards the Razzies. very disciplined man. He was like that in post- was a low budget slasher classic entitled Friday
production as well: a complete perfectionist. The The 13th. With its unapologetically gory thrills,

104 SFX presents Horror Subscribe at www.sfx.co.uk/subscriptions

 THE SHINING

And Michael Fish had

forecast sunny spells.

Shelley Duvall’s “stressed” face

probably came quite easily given
Jack Nicholson gets Kubrick’s fondness for repeated takes.
a premonition of the
early critical reaction.

sexy young cast and an audience-pleasing ending,

the far lower budgeted bloodbath effectively out-
grossed The Shining… both on the screen and at the
box office.
“I did not pay attention to the whole thing with
Friday The 13th,” admits Harlan today. “When
you make a film you can never foresee how the
audience will react and, yes, The Shining was not a
huge success when it came out. I think that people
were more used to conventional horror films.
Some of the critics were also less than kind but I
remember some reviewers calling 2001: A Space
Odyssey the most boring film ever made when it
first came out! My attitude is to say that Vincent
Van Gogh never sold his paintings when he was
alive. In fact, he was even told ‘you need to learn
how to paint properly’. So critics do not get it right
all of the time.”
Nevertheless, when Warner Bros looked at the
critical and commercial reception to the latest
Kubrick “masterpiece” in North America, they
immediately hit the panic button and
began to work out ways in which to boost the
international ticket sales.
“What happened is that after The Shining
came out in America, and did not do so well, was
that Warner Bros and Stanley thought it might
be because it was a touch too long,” says Harlan.
“They finally decided that it would work better if
they took down the ending… you know, just made it
a little shorter. So that was the version that the rest
of the world saw for many years.” ago none of us would have predicted this – and That, to me, is true horror – not invented stuff with
it's astonishing how the film still works on an ghosts and a haunted hotel. Eyes Wide Shut was
growing reputation audience. It still stands out, there is no doubt about real as well – everybody, at one point in this life,
However, as the decades have passed, The Shining it, and I am very pleased about that. Stanley was a is pulled apart by sexual fantasy and jealousy. The
has earned the sort of critical adoration that is man who was very, very careful about every project Shining does not pertain to real life. I do like the
usually only reserved for fellow “respectable” he did – and his mission was to make films that film but it is not my favourite.”
horror flicks such as Psycho, The Exorcist and would not disappear overnight or within three or Stephen King himself, though, did attempt to
The Silence Of The Lambs. Now, in any poll of the four weeks. Although The Shining was not greeted have the final word – working with long-time
greatest ever scary movies, you can be guaranteed with open arms, I guess he finally succeeded in collaborator Mick Garris on 1997’s televised
that Kubrick’s classic will be brutally axing its way creating another classic. Yet, of the films I have adaptation of the book. Staying far closer to the
into the top ten… worked on, it is not especially close to my heart. It source material than Kubrick ever did, King was,
“I have no explanation for that,” admits Harlan. is a great film but I would much rather talk about reportedly, over the moon at finally seeing his
“Today I read that The Shining is this ‘Freudian’ Full Metal Jacket or Eyes Wide Shut.” novel done justice.
masterpiece – but that covers everything. If Asked why this is, Harlan is forthright… Fittingly then, Harlan pauses for a second
you have no other idea then you call something “A horror film is, by definition, not serious,” he when asked about his opinion of the small-screen
Freudian [laughs]. Or I hear critics say that it is affirms, no doubt to the consternation of some. redux… “I did see it,” he nods. “But I don’t want to
more of a ‘psychological thriller’ when, of course, “Something like Full Metal Jacket is set in reality – talk about it.” Some ghosts, it seems, may have to
it is a full-blooded horror movie. But 30 years these poor young people being shipped off to war. remain buried…

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SCANNERS
 SCANNERS

1981
Calum Waddell prepares to have his brains blown by the splatter

SCANNERS
madness of David Cronenberg’s classic...

I
f ever one movie epitomised the era of the anomalies where you will be forgiven for rooting
videotape it is Scanners.
Indeed, one hesitates to imagine just how
many VHS and Betamax cassettes became worn
for the bad guy.
Thankfully, in Ironside, Cronenberg cast one of
the best...
Body Horror’s Birth
When Cronenberg was icky
out due to a flurry of fright fanatics frantically
rewinding or freeze-framing the deliriously new talent about Long before David Cronenberg gained his current
disgusting sight of some poor schmuck’s head “Scanners was a big turning point for me,” begins level of auteurist respect (nowadays if he wants to
exploding into a bonanza of blood. Yes, thanks to Ironside when SFX sits down with him. “I was make a film about a vampire pin-up acting like a git
this gratuitous gore-drenched setpiece Scanners really excited to do it because I was a big fan of The in a limousine for two hours he can make a film
soon became better known around schoolyards as Brood, the film that David made before Scanners, about a vampire pin-up acting like a git in a
“that film where the guy’s head goes boom”. and I could see that he was a major new talent. I limousine for two hours) the Canadian-born kook
However, viewed over three decades after-the- had done about eight movies prior to being cast was a one-man gore-machine – giving the screen
fact David Cronenberg’s but working with David the very first zombie swimming pool orgy in his
fourth fear-flick has a whole
lot more to offer than just the
sight of a squished skull...
“After starring Cronenberg, as well as Dick
Smith, who is the father and
patriarch of special make-up
1975 shock-fest Shivers (below) and teaming up
with erstwhile porn star Marilyn Chambers for the
nutty-as-squirrel-faeces frightener Rabid (1977).
Telling the story of
“scanners” – basically super- in Scanners I had effects, really changed my
life. I think that Scanners
Following these up with The Brood (1979), which
featured mutant homicidal dwarfs and a woman
powered blokes who can read
thoughts and, ultimately,
kill others via the infliction
to get myself a was a watershed film for all
of us. It launched us all to
another level...”
eating her own afterbirth, Cronenberg looked likely
to become the king of sick-cinema. Alas, following

bar-tending job”
Scanners and Videodrome (1983) our man has
of a mega-migraine – the Certainly, Scanners would followed an increasingly haughty career path,
movie contains a ludicrously reign as the number-one which has ranged from monstrously marvellous
gripping espionage narrative,
a sizzling showdown between
good and evil and a tour
Michael Ironside box-office attraction in
the United States for the
first week of its release
(The Fly, eXistenZ) to pretentious piffle (Naked
Lunch, M Butterfly, Spider).

de force performance from genre great Michael – giving Cronenberg, who was then more of a
Ironside. Portraying the villainous Darryl Revok, cult attraction, the opportunity to move into the
Ironside has the job of leading an underground mainstream. Ironside, however, insists that he
Images © The Kobal Collection (8)

“scanner” revolution, much to the dismay of a never could have predicted its success.
kindly doctor (played by Patrick McGoohan) who “In Canadian dollars I made $3,800 for that
sends out a friendly homeless man, with similar film,” he laughs. “The leading lady in Scanners was
telekinetic abilities, called Cameron Vale (Stephen Jennifer O’Neill,” he continues. “She had done some
Lack) to battle him. big movies by that time and I remember her pay
If this sounds nonsensical then that’s largely cheque was a not inconsiderable $95,000 [laughs].
because it is (exactly what Ironside’s “scanner So after Scanners I had to get a bar-tending job –
revolution” hopes to achieve, outside of crushing even though it was my face on all the posters. I was
a few craniums, is never actually explained) and, living in Canada and I had no idea that the film was
with co-star Lack – erm – “lacking” much in the a big hit until somebody called me from New York
way of charisma Scanners is one of those odd genre and said, ‘Hey Mike, do you know there is a five

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SCANNERS

Michael Ironside’s eyes

were severely damaged
during the shoot.

storey billboard of you in Times Square?’ I replied, it or not, they fitted perfectly. So those eyes of
‘Man, if that’s true then it’s not doing shit for me
being able to pay the rent. Now forgive me but
mine at the very end of Scanners are actually
Dustin Hoffman’s!” The sequels weren’t
much cop…
I have to get back to work and serve some drinks...’” Amazingly, Ironside reveals that Scanners was
initially set to end on a far less extravagant note...
raising the gory bar “I don’t know if I have ever told anyone this
All these years later, however, and Ironside has a before, but we actually shot two endings to Given the box office success
far better grasp of why Scanners was such an Scanners. The original one was just this psycho of Scanners a sequel was
important movie. battle between Stephen and I. We fought each hardly unexpected.
“It certainly raised the bar for gore and special other but it was more of a straightforward action Unfortunately, it took a decade
effects,” he smiles. “Dick Smith, who won an Oscar scene. We shot it right up until the Christmas of for 1991’s Scanners II: The New
for working on The Exorcist, had the job of devising 1979, trying and trying to make it as suspenseful as Order to appear as a
how to do the exploding heads. He was at the top possible, but David knew that we needed something direct-to-video cheapie. With
of his game back then and it was amazing watching that would close the movie with more of a bang. So no holdovers from the original
him execute all of that stuff. I remember when we he sent the script to Dick Smith in New York and movie, this in-name-only
had to film the ending – the scene where I fight asked him what he could come up with in terms of follow-up spins out a snooze-worthy story of
against Stephen Lack. I was told that the veins on cutting edge make-up. We had very little time but political corruption mixed with rubbish-looking
my face were going to pulsate and pop so I knew I think it all worked out. In fact, I have been told exploding heads. However, it’s a masterpiece
that I was going to have to wear these bladders. by a lot of people that the ending is one of the best compared to 1992’s Scanners III: The Takeover (aka
Dick had actually already created them for Altered things about Scanners.” Scanner Force), a film that doesn’t even have the
States but that film had started and then shut down Asked if he thinks this sort of practical trickery is ability to coherently link itself to the events of its
and then started again so I was actually the first a dying art, the actor is forthright. predecessor. Not that this stopped the franchise
person to get those bladders put on me. It was “Oh no, I don’t think it is a dying art,” he and in 1994 Scanner Cop appeared, another
considered state of the art at the time – everyone maintains. “But I think that the best effects are unrelated entry into the mythology that
on the set couldn’t wait to see how it was going to created using both arts mixed together and not introduced, erm, telekinetic lawmen to the
work. And here’s another interesting little aside narrative. Top marks to them for casting Richard
for you – in that sequence my eyes turn bright Lynch (a kind of Z-movie version of Michael
white... but the scleras that they gave me to wear Ironside) as the villain, though... Finally, well and
really scratched up my corneas. I was in agony truly beating a dead horse, the whole sorry series
after that. But I had to wear contact lenses for the came to a close with Scanner Cop II (aka Scanners:
final reveal – when it emerges that there has been The Showdown) in 1995. We have watched this one
a body-swap and I look up with bright blue eyes. so you don’t have to (clue: it’s awful).
Unfortunately the contact lenses they’d made for
me didn’t fit properly because my eyes had been
scratched. However, Dick Smith happened to
have with him Dustin Hoffman’s bright blue Jennifer O’Neill
contact lenses from the movie Little Big Man. He
played female
Scanner Kim Obrist.
said, ‘Hmm maybe we can try these,’ and, believe

108 SFX presents Horror

 SCANNERS

Is it us, or are the

questions in Mastermind
getting too tough?

Stephen Lack suffers

for the role…

just relying on CGI. There is something organically

correct when you use special effects make-up
because it then becomes an extension of something
live – I think you see that in movies like Scanners.
CGI has its place; it’s just not the answer to
everything. To me, freedom is not having no rules.
Instead, freedom is having a limited amount of
rules and knowing how to use them. CGI gives
you way too much. You want to blow up a guy’s
head? How about if you want to blow up the Earth?
Well CGI can do that too [laughs]. That is why you
need some restraint... there’s just not that much
creativity when you are doing it all digitally...”

mr nasty
Somewhat inevitably, after doing such a – pardon
the pun – “bang up” job on Scanners, Ironside
would often find himself stereotyped as a villain.
Immediately after his Cronenberg success he
would be cast as a serial slasher in 1982’s “video
nasty” Visiting Hours before taking on Arnold
Schwarzenegger in Total Recall (1990) and
grimacing his way through Highlander II: The
Quickening (1991). But does the actor ever get tired
of being the perennial go-to bad guy? choice, you just make the best of what’s offered. “That is a good question,” he smiles before
“I use the analogy that if you hit an old lady on But, with that said, outside of sci-fi circles I find pausing for a few seconds. “But you know what? I
the screen with a shovel, and somebody makes that far more people recognise me as an action don’t think I would have to do that to anyone if I
money from it, then after that they really don’t movie guy. I get ‘Hey, weren’t you in Top Gun?’ was a real-life scanner. Just having the ability to do
want you to step out from that parameter,” he far more than I get ‘Weren’t you the bad guy in that would have more than enough influence over
laughs. “In other words: they don’t want you to do Scanners?’ Out of all of the films that I have done, people. I think it is the nature of modern man or
anything but hit more old ladies with shovels and and I think it must be around 200 now, probably woman that when you have a big stick you have to
if that is the trunk that I have to build my tree on only a third of them have been in the genre of hit somebody with it just to show that you have it.
then that is fine. I am not ungrateful for it. This is a fantasy or sci-fi.” However, I think I might just blow up a cantaloupe
very marginal business, nobody wants to take real Finally then, considering all the real horrors that or something. I think that would show people what
risks and there’s not as much creative freedom in are happening in this world, if Ironside woke up I was capable of and after that I imagine that they
this industry as a lot of people like to think. If you one day and found that he had the ability to “scan” would be a bit more respectful [laughs].”
get offered five jobs, and in every one of them you someone just who would he single out for the Who would have thought that cinema’s foremost
are hitting an old lady with a shovel, it is not by “exploding head” treatment? bad guy would turn out to be so considerate?

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piranha II: the spawning

110 SFX presents Horror Subscribe at www.sfx.co.uk/subscriptions

 piranha II: the spawning

1982

Piranha II
The Spawning It was the cash-strapped sequel that also happened to be the
directorial debut of one James Cameron. Calum Waddell reveals
the creative battles behind the flesh-feasting fish...

I
t has since gone down in history as a pop culture old fish supper, this flimsy follow-up, and its well get rid of his filmmakers after about three or four
calamity on the level of when Decca Records known production woes, continue to enthral. weeks and then finish each production himself. It
turned down the Beatles. James Cameron, “I actually saw it again on television just the was just something that he liked to do.”
soon to become one of the most successful other day,” states effects wizard Gino De Rossi,
filmmakers on the planet, ended up fired from the Italian gore-genius who worked his magic back to the sea
his first feature by an opportunistic Italian on Piranha II’s spurting arteries and toothsome Rushed into production in 1980, following the
Z-flick producer who – ultimately – believed that terrors. “It brought back all of these memories sleeper success of Joe Dante’s classic Jaws spoof
he could do a better job. The result was not only a about the crazy situation between James Cameron Piranha (1978), Cameron was, at the time, slogging
catastrophic piece of celluloid but a schlock sequel and the film’s producer Ovidio G Assonitis. I it out as part of the special effects crew on such
that Cameron has since stated he would rather actually hadn’t thought about this in years but it Roger Corman productions as Battle Beyond The
erase from his CV. However, despite the fact that really was insane. James Cameron was the director Stars (1980) and Galaxy Of Terror (1981). An Italian-
Piranha II: The Spawning (also known as Flying of Piranha II, no question, but Assonitis had this American co-production, Piranha II was originally
Killers) is, to be blunt, even soggier than a week- little vice that he enjoyed using. Basically, he would supposed to be helmed by another Corman
graduate called Miller Drake – a man who has since
gone on to be one of Hollywood’s most respected
visual effects engineers thanks to his work on
Cameron’s own The Abyss (1990) and Terminator
2 (1991). Alas, when Drake was dropped, Cameron
– who was then toiling away on Piranha II as its
special effects director – was asked to take the helm
and perform a page one rewrite on the problematic
production. Interestingly, this Cameron-approved
screenplay actually anticipates some of the great
man’s better known blockbusters with a story
centred upon environmental terrorism (shades of
Avatar), the undiscovered mysteries of the deep
Images © BFI (1)

(think of The Abyss) and a fanged-flipper taking

At the film’s start, flight from out of someone’s stomach and gnawing
the piranhas are Good thing she had
still underwater. that mask on… on a hapless victim’s neck (which bears shades of
Aliens). Even the gung-ho heroism of Cameron’s

SFX presents Horror 111

piranha II: the spawning

James Cameron slaved

over these fish!

It’s a bit like The

Birds. Only crap.

leading lady (played by actress Tricia O’Neil, Star

Trek: The Next Generation’s Enterprise-C captain)
feels like a comfortable companion to Linda
Hamilton’s Sarah Connor.
“The whole story behind that movie is just mind-
boggling,” laughs Piranha II star Lance Henriksen
to SFX. “It was Jim’s first film and, just through
listening to his enthusiasm on the set, you knew
that he wanted to come out of that experience with
something of value – he really wanted it to work.
He only had $300,000 to shoot that thing out in
Jamaica and he spent every night up in his room
making rubber fish. Meanwhile we were all down
Gino De Rossi
Known in the special
in the parking lot making miniature boats to blow effects world as
up. Everyone chipped in and, after all of that, the “Bombardoni” (meaning
producer decided to fire Jim for no other reason “The Bomber”) Gino De
than because he wanted to finish the film.” Rossi has worked his Dawn Of The
Henriksen also offers a similar story to that of explosive magic on six Dead part two?
De Rossi: “I don’t even remember the name of the James Bond films. Perhaps
guy who took control of the movie, which tells you even more impressively, he with the likes of Beyond The Door
something,” he sighs. “However, from what I was can claim a Bafta Part III (1989) and American
told the producer had a habit of hiring directors nomination for his Ninja IV: The Annihilation (1990).
and then firing them so that he could take over and make-up effects work on Guess who had the last laugh, in
do the final cut and become the hero in the eyes of the period epic The Last other words...
the investors.” Emperor (1987). “I still feel a little sorry, let’s
Nevertheless, it’s his more say, that I got to know Cameron,
the new flesh humble early credits which and got along so well with him,
Taking up where the first Piranha left off, the continue to enthral genre under the circumstances of this terrible movie,”
sequel – which includes some mind-bogglingly bad buffs. Alongside Piranha II, for instance, are such says De Rossi. “Of course, he went on to do films
dubbing jobs – continues the story of the flesh- video nasty classics as Lucio Fulci’s Zombie Flesh like Titanic, and made such a mark in Hollywood,
hungry fish who have been created as part of some Eaters (1979) and City Of The Living Dead (1980) and you just have to laugh and say, ‘How on earth
mad-scientist military operation to fight against – as well as the barf-bag horror of Cannibal Ferox did Assonitis manage to let someone of that talent
enemy contingents. The next step in this plan is to (1981) – in which he aptly brought castration, get away from him?’ I honestly don’t know. I just
give the piranha wings – allowing them to conduct cranium-slicing and ample gut-crunching to the can’t understand some things... In Italy, even
land battles. Unfortunately, some are leaked into big screen. Respect! today, proper producers don’t exist, just ‘executive
the Jamaican atmosphere and much beach and directors’ who are looking to line their pockets and
bikini-related bloodshed results – with Henriksen, feed their egos.”
playing the local police chief, trying his best to halt back then, he was quite excellent. And when
the horror... Assonitis had fired him, he replied by saying: ‘Well, fish feast
“I remember a very particular thing about James you can fire me if you want but I’m going nowhere. Alas, whereas the concept of cascading carnivores
Cameron,” continues De Rossi. “Technically, even That’s all there is to it – I’m not leaving the set.’ may have seemed like a perfectly fine idea for
And stay he did... in fact, James remained for the some pulse-pounding popcorn entertainment, the
And his day had whole shoot. He even helped us with the special most tragic thing about Piranha II is that it bites
started off so well. effects – he assisted with the mechanical fish and the big one. While the fish themselves are actually
kept things right.” not badly designed (despite being described
For those curious about the preposterous by one critic as resembling “haddock with
producer of Piranha II, well – let’s just say that dentures”) the all-important quota of slaughtered
Ovidio G Assonitis won’t be receiving a phone call sunbathers seems to have been lost in translation
about working on Avatar 2 any time soon. Prior to and the action takes far too long to step into gear.
his run-in with the soon-to-be “King of the World” Moreover, the macabre mess is played straight,
the Rome-based exploitation buff had carved out a thus missing the satire of Joe Dante’s original.
niche for himself in cheap and cheerful sleaze-pics
including the demonic possession potboiler Beyond
The Door (1974), a film that was sued by Warner “Cameron spent every
night up in his room
Bros for being a bit too similar to The Exorcist, and
the giant octopus jaunt Tentacles (1977). Moreover,
post Piranha II, when Cameron was keeping busy
rising up the ranks of Tinseltown, Assonitis was
grinding it out making direct-to-video damnation making fish”
112 SFX presents Horror Subscribe at www.sfx.co.uk/subscriptions
 piranha II: the spawning
You know you
want to see the
movie now…

at the box office, obtained derisive critical notices

The Piranha Legacy and quickly found its home on VHS – mainly
rented, no doubt, after The Terminator and Aliens
made Cameron’s cinematic stock infinitely more
While Joe Dante’s tongue-in-cheek Spielberg-send-up edible than his disastrous debut ever could.
Piranha is, rightly, seen as a superb satire, the films it Meanwhile, rumours persist that Cameron,
inspired are considerably less interesting. Piranha II at least after being unceremoniously dumped as director,
tries to continue the story arc, albeit with curtailed comedy, broke into the editing suite and attempted to
and won some favour with the man behind its inspiration assemble his own final cut of the fear-farce – only
(“Jim showed me it and I told him that I thought he had to be found out and booted back onto the beach.
nothing to be ashamed of,” admits Dante). Yet, unable to Decades later, though, while promoting his
eat up audience attention, Piranha II effectively fried-out 3D mega-hit Avatar, the director would jokingly
the franchise until 1995, when Roger Corman produced a describe his blood-caked bomb as “the best flying
low-rent, made-for-television remake that few filmic piranha film ever made” – although he also admits
fish-fans probably even remember. Of course, 2010’s idiotic that it was working on this erratic outing which
Piranha 3D reignited interest in the aquatic insanity (and ultimately won him the gig on The Terminator, a far
spawned a recent sequel) – although its main point of more successful film in every respect.
interest was in dragging Cameron back to the days of his “It all comes down to this: after working his ass
debut, with the filmmaker belittling the gimmickry of the off for three or four weeks Jim got sacked because
“in your face” blood-and-boobs. “An example of what we some other guy thought he could do a better job,”
should not be doing in 3D... it just cheapens the medium,” concludes Henriksen, who would go on to work
sighed the Avatar man, perhaps still holding an allergic with Cameron on Aliens and The Terminator. “But
reaction to anything featuring bloodthirsty sea-beasts… we bonded on that movie and I saw a guy who had
a work ethic that was second to none. So, you know
what, I have no regrets about doing the movie – but
“We had many problems shooting the movie it’s a film that’s more fun to think about than to
in Jamaica,” adds De Rossi. “For instance, we had actually watch.”
lots of trouble with the mechanical fish. Don’t Thankfully, later that day I saw a waiter with
get me wrong – they worked fine, and Cameron
was delighted with how they looked, but the
stripes down his trousers and a shirt. I said to him,
‘Hey man, I’ll give you $75 for your clothes.’ I was “HOW ON EARTH DID
ASSONITIS LET SOMEONE
problem was that it was hard to operate them so happy when he agreed. It was insane but at least
underwater. Often we just could not find a way to I looked more like a harbour cop. That indicates
get them to move to where the camera was. The what kind of a shoot it was.”
biggest problem came one evening when Assonitis
came over to me and said, ‘Now it’s time for us to
break, leave the fish underwater for the night and
Indeed, despite a gloriously garish theatrical
poster, the sequel failed to munch out much money OF THAT TALENT GO?”
tomorrow we can just pick up where we left off ’. Kelly Brook would This poor chap will
Well, the next morning we arrived on the set and die in more style. never sing “Bohemian
the piranha had become covered in plankton which Rhapsody” again.
meant they could not move any more. So eventually
we had to do a lot of the flying-fish stuff in Rome,
using stop-motion instead. It was really quite a
strange shoot – so many things went wrong.”
This sort of by-the-teeth approach to
filmmaking is echoed by Henriksen...
Images © BFI (4)

“I actually bought all of my clothes off a waiter,”

states the actor. “Here’s the thing: I was meant
to be playing a harbour cop and the producer
handed me a bunch of chinos. I said, ‘What the
hell does this have to do with a harbour cop?’

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 113

Hellraiser

1987

Calum Waddell looks back at the franchise-defining

fright flick which promised to “tear your soul apart”

I
f you frequented fear films back in the ’80s helm, Hellraiser was going to be an interesting
chances are you could not help but bemoan movie. I think we were doing something that was
the sorry state of British horror. Once the going slightly against the grain of what else was
country which spawned Amicus and Hammer happening in the horror world at the time – this
– as well as shocking cinemagoers with such was not Friday The 13th Part 19 or whatever. But
macabre masterworks as The Wicker Man and when you are making a film you tend to just keep
Witchfinder General – the UK had all but ceased your head down and get on with it so I never
expanding on its proud portfolio of scary movies really grasped what a big deal Hellraiser was
by the time the ’80s rolled around. Moreover, going to be. Often you don’t know what you’ve
when national nastiness did rear its ugly head it got until it’s done. I do remember seeing the
was with such ridiculous fare as Dream Demon finished film and thinking, ‘Yeah, this is really
(1988) and, oddly enough, the Clive Barker- interesting and scary.’ However, I was so close
penned monster-mash Rawhead Rex (1986). to it that I did not see the wood for the trees.
It was the latter fiasco which finally I certainly did not expect to be sitting here 25
encouraged rising star novelist Barker – who years down the line talking about it.”
hated the final film – to put down his pen and
take up the director’s chair himself. In doing so, house guests
the author showed a new generation of gore- Based on Barker’s novella The Hellbound Heart,
hounds that our fine island could still chalk up a Hellraiser introduces the viewer to American
crimson-caked classic from time to time... expat Larry (played by Dirty Harry villain
“I’d worked with Clive on some of his short and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine thespian Andy
films, so I wasn’t surprised when he asked me Robinson), his recently wedded British wife
to be in Hellraiser,” states Doug Bradley, the Julia (Clare Higgins) and teenage daughter
man who became an instant genre icon thanks Kirsty (Ashley Laurence). As the three move into
to his role as Pinhead, leader of a rogue band their new house in London, Julia encounters
of Satanic servants called the Cenobites. “I had her husband’s sadomasochistic brother Frank
absolute faith in Clive’s vision and judgement hiding in the attic – a man with whom she once
and I also knew that, with his visual eye at the had a passionate, pre-marriage affair. However,

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 Hellraiser

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 115

Hellraiser

Kirsty discovers
that some Cenobites
do shades.

Some hairdressers are

nicer than others.

Spa staff take mud in this case, he is not quite the same person he Time Out when the film premiered. But, strangely
facials seriously. used to be. Having stumbled across a puzzle box enough, Pinhead was only on the cinema poster
called the Lament Configuration, whose secrets and the video box by default. It was originally
unlock the gates of Hell amid promises of perverse supposed to be skinless Frank on there but that
pleasures, Frank managed to raise a tribe of image got vetoed by the distributors because it was
demons, the Cenobites, and was promptly skinned deemed to be too gruesome.”
alive in the great “down under”. Managing to For aspiring actor Bradley, however, this
flee from Hell, the blood-caked brother-in-law newfound fame was both a blessing and something
asks Julia to murder for him – with fresh human of a curse...
meat replenishing his flesh. However, after the “Every piece of publicity I saw about Hellraiser,
two kill her father, Kirsty manages to summon in print or on TV, featured Pinhead but my name
the Cenobites herself and, ultimately, makes a was never attached to it,” states the performer.
deal with the devil to deliver their rogue escapee “That was the oddest thing about it. It was great
straight back to Hades... to be so heavily featured but there was no way to
“Hellraiser was a huge success when it came out prove to anyone that it was actually me [laughs].”
and critics were saying that British horror might be And he did no press? “I didn’t do a single interview
making a comeback,” continues Bradley. “However, when Hellraiser came out. I don’t know if that
the sad truth is that Clive could not get any money was a deliberate decision, so as to keep Pinhead
A shower and a coffee from the UK and actually had to finance it in mysterious. I know a lot of fans, particularly
later, and he was fine. America [laughs]. I also recall that Pinhead was in America, told me that Andy Robinson, Clare
everywhere – we even made it onto the front of Higgins and Ashley Lawrence were on MTV and
the morning chat shows and everything – but
Images © The Kobal Collection (5), Rex Features (1)

whenever they showed a clip from the film it was

Hellraiser : the franchise always of Pinhead. So those who were following

Hellraiser at the time were wondering where the
guy with the pins was! Well I can tell you where I
The chances are that only the most devoted of directed by “Alan Smithee”, which says it all, while was – I was sitting at home in England, watching it
franchise followers will have endured the entire 2000’s direct-to-DVD Inferno makes the puzzling all happen from the sidelines [laughs].”
Hellraiser series. For those curious about where the decision to hardly have Pinhead in there at all.
mythology moves to after the events of Barker’s Hellseeker arrived in 2002, and moves even further a new horror icon
classic original, 1988’s Hellbound at least offers away from the legacy of Barker’s original. Hellraiser: Nevertheless, thanks to the aura of Pinhead,
coherency and attempts to answer some of the Deader and Hellworld were shot back-to-back in Hellraiser became as synonymous with its leading
questions posed by its predecessor. Unfortunately, Romania and look suitably cheap and cheerful, Cenobite as A Nightmare On Elm Street was with
1992’s Hell On Earth turns Pinhead into a although neither has anything new to offer. The Freddy Krueger. Consequently, when the decision
wisecracking Freddy-like villain and opts for slapstick cash-strapped Revelations (2011) is woeful enough was made to turn Barker’s brainchild into a
special effects in place of any solid scares. The to lose Bradley as Pinhead and, thus, does not even franchise, the thought of doing this without Bradley
preposterous, time-travelling Bloodline (1996) is have familiarity on its side. was, frankly, unthinkable. As such, the actor would
headline seven further Hellraiser instalments,

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 Hellraiser

Frank’s hungry and

nothing’s gonna
stop him.

A home that has

literally been under
the hammer.

reanimation thanks to the success of 2003’s

franchise-filleting Freddy Vs Jason...
“When Freddy Vs Jason came out and stomped
all over the box office, Dimension decided that
they wanted a Hellraiser Vs Halloween movie made
yesterday,” chuckles Bradley. “I was actually getting
excited by the prospect of this because Clive said
he would write it and John Carpenter said he
would direct it. I actually spoke to Clive about it
a couple of times and he was interested in finding
the places where the Halloween and Hellraiser
worlds intermeshed. For instance, I remember him
although none of them would match the skill, or speaking about how, in the first Halloween, Loomis
provide the chills, of the original. is running around and telling everybody that
“I would always point back to the first film as Michael Myers is some source of pure evil – as if he
my favourite of the series,” admits Bradley. “That’s is from Hell itself. But the late Moustapha Akkad,
for a whole lot of reasons – mainly because it
was my first feature film and it was a very vivid Clive Barker: who owned the Halloween series, retained enough
control to have the final word and when he caught

From Book To
experience: not only learning the ins and outs of wind of this he said no.”
how a movie set worked but also dealing with latex, As a result, Bradley’s Pinhead would bow out of
fake nails sticking out my head, black contact lenses horrordom with 2005’s Hellraiser: Hellworld – in
and wearing a leather skirt [laughs]. I enjoyed
the character in that first film too – you knew he
was from Hell, and that there was a very perverse
element to him, but Pinhead was still quite a
Blockbuster
Despite making a mark with Hellraiser, author
which a group of teenagers are fed mind-altering
drugs by Lance Henriksen and subsequently begin
to imagine that the Cenobites are coming to kill
them. In other words: it was hellishly awful.
mysterious presence in the original Hellraiser.” and painter Barker would only call the shots on Hardly surprising, then, that when Dimension
Alas, as Hellraiser morphed into the hurried two more movies – 1990’s Nightbreed, an opted to make its latest franchise entry with 2011’s
Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988), and the hokey above-par adaptation of his novel Cabal, and Hellraiser: Revelations, Bradley had decided that
Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth (1992), quality took a 1995’s commercially disappointing Lord Of enough was enough.
notable nosedive – and, to add insult to injury, the Illusions. However, Barker’s written work “Revelations was only made so that Dimension
distinct British setting was nonsensically swapped continues to inspire the odd worthwhile entity, could keep the rights to Hellraiser,” says Bradley.
for New York. Nevertheless, Barker remained on including the slasher classic Candyman (1992), the “They didn’t have a lot of time to organise it, or do
board as a producer up until the Pinhead-in-outer- Bradley Cooper-starring Midnight Meat Train the film properly, so I said no. However, I wished
space silliness of fourth flick Hellraiser: Bloodline (2008), the Brit-shot Book Of Blood (2009) and them good luck and I have no ill-will towards the
(1996), at which point it was clear that the template the stomach-turning Dread (2009). guy who stepped into Pinhead’s role. Now all we
of his terrifying original opus had long been can do is wait and see what will happen with the
lost to head-squashing splatter gags and semi- remake that they keep speaking about...” As of 2014
naked scream queens. Come 2000’s fifth outing, For example, they decided that Bloodline was too the remake remains somewhere in production hell.
Hellraiser: Inferno, the series cemented itself as a long and they began cutting it, changing the ending, Not to worry, though, because for anyone who
cheaply-made direct-to-DVD staple – complete which undermined the film, and then our director values the sexually subversive universe of Clive
with a constantly cackling villain whose cheese- quit. The next three films were moved to DVD only, Barker, one thing is for sure: there is only one
factor rivalled that of Jar Jar Binks. which I don’t think is a big deal necessarily, but it’s Pinhead and only one Hellraiser that is truly worth
Naturally, this was a far cry from the high-octane nice to have someone backing you and supporting your time. And for that, you need to turn to 1987’s
horror of Barker’s mind-bending first movie... you. So at that point it felt as if Dimension, who had original venture: a classic terror title that would
“I think it’s inevitable, with any film franchise, since had a lot of success with the Scream films, likely send shivers down the spine of Satan himself.
that the law of diminishing returns begins to apply,” were not so interested in Hellraiser any more.” It can hold its head high as a true Brit-classic of
sighs Bradley. “My main misgivings are that, from cinematic creepiness – the key film which pulled
Hellraiser: Bloodline onwards there were massive enter michael myers? UK horror out of the doldrums and into the
problems. I think these problems were mainly down However, few Hellraiser fans will be aware of the delirium of the modern day.
to the production company, Dimension Pictures. fact that Pinhead did have a brief shot at respectful Jesus wept.

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 117

THE BLOB

The BLOB
It crept and it leapt and it glided and it slid…
Peter Hoskin remembers ’50s monster classic The Blob

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 THE BLOB

Teenagers were older

in the old days…

Y
ou turn off the lights and settle
down for a fright-flick called The Blob. It’s
about a gelatinous monster that melts its
victims down to naught, so your nerves
steel themselves for some scares as the
production logos appear. But then – what
the hell?! A jaunty guitar line kicks in with the
opening credits, followed by a swooning saxophone
solo. Pretty soon, there’s hand-clapping and
mouth-popping. And that’s when the singing starts:
“Beware of the Blob, it creeps and leaps and glides
and slides across the floor…” A-wha?! You didn’t
sign up for this.
In the 56 years since it was released in 1958, The
Blob has become a sci-fi and horror standard. But it
doesn’t matter if you’re watching it for the first time
or the hundredth, that poptastic opening always
jars. It’s not that the theme song is rubbish; after
all, it was written by some up-and-comer called
Burt Bacharach, along with Mack David. It’s that
it’s weirdly unexpected and unexpectedly weird.
The distributor had insisted on it against the wishes
of The Blob’s director, Irwin S Yeaworth Jr, and
instead of a theme by the man who composed the
film’s score, Ralph Carmichael. No doubt they were
going for the teen dollar.
But it’s not worth getting hung up about, not
least because The Blob keeps on surprising. The
very first shot of the movie, along with the rest, is
resplendently colourful. Two teens’ heads fill the
entire width of the widescreen as they neck with
each other on the outskirts of town. Her lips are
as red as Mars. His eyes are crystal blue. For those
expecting a murky, black-and-white number, it’s
a jolt to the eyeballs. The Blob may have cost only
$120,000 to make, but it starts off looking like Gone
With The Wind.
Except Clark Gable never had to pretend to be a
kid. Those two snogging teenagers? They were both
played by actors well into their twenties at the time.
As the 17-year-old Jane, we have the 24-year-old
Anita Corsaut. As the 17-year-old Steve, we have the
28-year-old Steve McQueen – although here, for the
only time in his film career, he’s credited as Steven
McQueen, with an “n”. Five years before he jumped
1958 a bike over a fence, ten years before he skidded
around the streets of San Francisco, the King of
Cool was battling a jelly from outer space.

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 119

THE BLOB

Of all the bad luck: a

monster with a bad cold.

He’s gonna protect those

darn watermelons!

This Steven fella had been in a few films already,

but mostly in uncredited, unshowy parts. The Blob
gave him his first leading role. The film’s producer
Jack H Harris was in the market for cheap and
unheralded talent, like the over-age McQueen,
“We’ve never seen such
because this was a cheap and unheralded project. a bad reaction to Ant and
Years before, he and his friend Irvine H Millgate, Dec before!”
a university professor, had come up with the
idea of making a monster movie together. Then
inspiration struck Millgate – “A mineral form of Harris, he took the job anyway. Work duly town packed full of breathing individuals. No one is
life that consumes human flesh on contact!” – began – with the assistance of Yeaworth’s wife, mere monster fodder.
and he wrangled it into a treatment for a film he Jean – to turn the original treatment into a full- This time spent fleshing out the characters
called The Molten Meteor. Eventually, via Harris, length screenplay. was complemented by time preparing other
this treatment made its way to Yeaworth’s small- There’s surely a measure of Yeaworth’s aspects of The Blob’s production – particularly
town Pennsylvanian production company, Valley Presbyterianism in the final script, which is the monster. Harris was adamant that a rigorous
Forge Films. credited to Kay Linaker and Theodore Simonson. period of pre-production would spare the movie
Unlike so many B-movies of the age, The Blob from mistakes, and a spiralling budget, later on.
growing the blob has an almost devout concern for its characters, And so he organised a team, including the director
Yeaworth was not an obvious candidate for who are all endowed with memorable little quirks of photography Thomas Spalding and the special
turning The Molten Meteor, the idea, into The Blob, and biographical details. Policeman #3 uses his effects director Bart Sloan, to figure out just how to
the movie. He was a dedicated Presbyterian who downtime at the station house to play chess over cinematise a pulsating orb of intergalactic goo. As
was more used to directing short 16mm films for the radio. An old woman, questioned at the scene he told Cinefantastique magazine in the ’80s, “We
the religious market. Besides, as he’d later admit, he of a Blob-related death, gripes about “the people had about three-and-a-half months preparation,
“didn’t have much interest in science fiction”. But, downstairs” watching movies all night: “There’s besides story development. [It was] the best-
eager to make a feature film, and encouraged by always some shooting or screaming!” This is a small prepared movie I’ve ever done.”
For the most part, the Blob devised by this
team was a ball of silicone, dyed red. Harris even

the blob is back arranged a deal with the American mega-company

3M – eager to show off their various viscosities of
silicone on screen – for the raw materials. From

(and back again) there, it was just a matter of making that material
move. Sometimes this was easy enough: one of the
film’s most arresting special effects, when the Blob
Most folk will remember Larry Hagman as the oil baron JR leaps (as the theme song warned) up a stick to grab
Ewing in Dallas. But devoted Blobthusiasts remember him its first victim’s hand, simply meant turning the
as the director of 1972’s Beware! The Blob (aka Son Of celluloid upside down. Sometimes it was a little
Blob), a sort of sequel to the original. This movie’s more difficult.
tongue-in-cheek tone blurs the line between intentional For those scenes in which the Blob had
and unintentional laughs, but it probably gets more of the swollen beyond convenient proportions, Spalding
latter. More serious – and gorier – is Chuck Russell’s 1988 constructed moveable miniature sets, with cameras
remake, co-written by Frank Darabont and with a monster and lights mounted on to them, so that the silicone
that comes not from space but from a Cold War-era could be rolled around like a pinball. For when
weapons lab. And then there are films such as Ishirô the Blob had swollen even bigger, to the point that
Honda’s The H-Man (1958) and Larry Cohen’s The Stuff
A date gone a bit wrong it outsized buildings, Sloan prepared animations
in the 1988 remake.
(1985), which are the Blob’s offspring in all but name. that could be laid over the film itself. Every trick
and workaround was used to create the greatest

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 THE BLOB
monster. Very often, and particularly when the
Blob is in a shot with its victims, the editing cuts
away from it quickly. This was a conscious effort
to reduce costs – allowing for effects, such as a
painted weather balloon being dragged along the
ground, that wouldn’t survive the scrutiny of a long
take – but it also reinforces one of the film’s themes.

blobfest The adults are sceptical of Steve’s breathless

warnings in part because Steve isn’t sure of what he
saw himself.
Want to be consumed by the Blob? Then Even the Blob’s famous attack on the audience
you can be, figuratively speaking, by inside a cinema – look out behind you! – contains
heading to Phoenixville in Pennsylvania. far less Blob than fans may remember. After it
This town, along with the nearby guzzles the projectionist, there’s just a single
Downingtown, Chester Springs and shot of the creature oozing through the holes of
Royersford, was used as a filming location the projection booth wall, before the film cuts to
by Yeaworth and company – and it outside and the crowds screaming. 
celebrates its gooey heritage with a special In real-life, of course, crowds ran towards The
Blobfest each year. The highlight of this Blob. In the two years after its release, the film
event has to be The Run Out, a recreation of
the film’s famous shock-scene inside a
cinema. There may be no intergalactic
monster present, but there are hundreds “Even the Blob’s
of volunteers screaming their way out of
the restored Colonial Theatre. Altogether
now: Eeeeek!
famous attack on the
cinema contains far
less Blob than fans
may remember”
took in over 70 times its original budget – $8.5
million – a considerable sum back in those days. But
its real worth can’t really be measured in dollars.
This, after all, was Steve McQueen’s first feature
film. It set Jack H Harris off on a producing career
possible threat to Yeaworth’s community of finished footage. Spalding stuck photographs of that included other small-budget behemoths,
individuals: a single, giant mass that sucks people in the locations on his miniature moveable sets, and such as Equinox (1970) and Dark Star (1974).
and reduces them to its own organic matter.    started rolling those balls of silicone around. Sloan And, accidentally or not, there’s something of its
set about drawing his animations. And all of this homespun feel in everything from Night Of The
behind the screams added months to the final production time. “The Living Dead (1968) to the films of John Cassavetes. 
Most of this was in place before the three weeks thing that took time was the special effects,” Harris At the climax of The Blob, the monster has been
of principal photography began in the summer of said later. Indeed, he had to stop some of this work frozen into dormancy and dropped into the Arctic.
1957, but the challenges didn’t end there. McQueen, while it was still being finessed – to collective “I don’t think it can be killed, but at least we got it
by many accounts, was a difficult presence on set, disappointment from the artists involved. stopped,” says the police lieutenant. To which Steve
and he didn’t get on with his co-star Corsaut. A Admittedly, not all of the finished effects work replies: “Yeah, as long as the Arctic stays cold.”
good amount of production time was spent either equally well – but what did you expect from There may be something unintentionally funny
bending him to the filmmakers’ will or smoothing a budget of this size? Some of the acting and about that line in this age of increasing climate
his post-teenage complexion with make-up.    the dialogue is a little hokey, too. But, crucially, concern, but don’t miss the point as you chortle: the
But more significant was the crew’s general Yeaworth & co knew when not to show their Blob cannot be killed.
unfamiliarity with filmmaking on this scale. Few
of them had ever encountered, let alone used, the
35mm cameras that Harris provided to lend the film
a high quality finish – they had to learn to produce
professional results in double-quick time and on
a triple-small budget. It was soon discovered, for
instance, that they didn’t have enough lighting to do
extensive shooting on location. Most of the film’s
scenes, including its exterior ones, were shot on
Images © The Kobal collection (1), corbis (1)

sets because it was cheaper and easier.

There was, however, some location work in
and around Yeaworth’s base of Chester Springs,
Pennsylvania – and memorable stuff it is, too. A
supermarket, a cinema and a railcar-style diner
all lend The Blob a strong dose of realism and,
nowadays, of American nostalgia. This monster isn’t
just a total affront to life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness. It’s also an affront to the pursuit of apple
pie and milkshake.
After all this was completed, it was back to
the lab for more effects work. The techniques
that had been developed before filming were just One of your five-a-day?
preparation; now they had to be appended to the

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The birds
• Released: 10 September 1963
• Runtime: 119 minutes
• Certificate: X
• Director: Alfred Hitchcock
• Writer: Evan Hunter

the birds
• Studio: Universal

Russell Lewin goes cuckoo

over Hitchcock’s apocalyptic thriller

GENIUS AT WORK
The film is brilliant for many reasons:
it flows beautifully and lucidly – there
are no moments when you think, “that
doesn’t make sense” or “that really
doesn’t work”. The pacing is exquisite
– the fact that the attacks are sporadic
increases their effectiveness, and when
blood is sighted it is meaningful. Every
single bird shriek is important. After
its light beginning, tension hangs over
every scene – even a commonplace
phone call becomes nervy and
important because it is about chickens
not feeding. The finale in the under-
siege farmhouse, later echoed by Sam
Peckinpah in Straw Dogs, is edge-of-
the-seat exciting. And underpinning the
movie is Hitchcock’s clever theming,
like Melanie trapped like a bird in a
telephone box or the man in the shop
in his own, literal cage – the suggestion
being that we’re really not that much
different from the squeaking, angsty,
hungry birds.

INFLUENCE ON
As the film doesn’t offer an explanation for the feathered
fiends’ behaviour, this has led some to question whether
Main image © The Kobal Collection

it’s a true genre film. What’s

undeniable is its influence
on the likes of Jaws and bee
movies such as The Swarm
(threat from nature) and Night
Of The Living Dead (hordes of
attackers hemming in victims),
as well as inspiring films with
bird attacks like Damien: Omen
II and the lame TV movie sequel,
The Birds II: Land’s End (1994).
Of course, there was also the
inevitable Simpsons parody.

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 The birds

VERY SPECIAL
EFFECTS
Hitchcock used over 1,400 shots in
the picture, more than twice the usual
number in a feature at the time. He
1963 combined over a thousand live trained
birds, animation, mechanical birds and
composite photography. The three-
year gap between the end of Psycho’s
shooting, the longest interval by far
in Hitch’s career to that time, was due MANIPULATION
to the meticulous preparation of the Melanie’s ascent up the stairs near the
script and careful study of the technical climax, which echoes a scene from
challenges. What’s especially effective Psycho, is masterful because there’s a
is the way Hitch switches between threat but we’re not quite sure how it
effects, so that real birds, or convincing will manifest itself. A few scenes in the
mechanical versions, are most often house are shot from above – just as the
shown in close-up, viciously pecking birds themselves would see them, even
away at terrified humans. though there are none present at that
time. And when there is talk of Melanie
naked in a fountain, every male viewer
pictures her naked in their head. Clever!

CLASSIC SCENE
The birds gather
behind Melanie… JUST TEASING
Hitchcock’s humour was in evidence
during the production. He advised
Jessica Tandy that if a bird flew up
her skirt to grab it, “because a bird
in the hand is better than...” Posters
teased a mystified public with the
ungrammatical statement “The Birds
Is Coming”. The film itself is one
long tease as to why the attacks
are happening – listen out for the
references to us maltreating other
animals, like when roast beef is served
MAPPING IT OUT 1 While waiting for schoolteacher
Annie to finish her lessons, Melanie
at the children’s party. There is never
Birds play a large part in Hitchcock films. References to them any explanation given and the words
sits down for a fag – leading ladies “The End” do not even appear at the
crop up in Blackmail, Sabotage, Vertigo, Psycho and many
could do that in those days. film’s close, suggesting a hanging
more. Since medieval times they have been symbols of ill
luck, and in Victorian art and poetry they became markers of mystery and no end in sight, literally.
discord; Hitchcock’s films home in on irregular relationships
and the fragility of the human condition. In The Birds, each
avian attack comes DEEPER
after dialogue
about people’s fear MEANINGS
of and experience The words “I see” or “You see” occur
of abandonment about 25 times in the film. Why?
– the physical Because sight is one of The Birds’
expression of these motifs: every scene concludes with
laments is the a character staring into space; the

2
attacks. Hitchcock The climbing frame behind her is farmer’s eyes are seen to have been
carefully planned gradually attracting crows. Just pecked out (in a stunning triple jump-
this schematically imagine the mess afterwards… cut); the children’s game of blind
on huge sheets of man’s buff is interrupted by a bird
graph paper. attack; Mitch spies on Melanie through
binoculars, and so on. We “see” nature
through a process of nature itself.
Perhaps we have seen too much, or
have done too much against nature to
classic dialogue warrant this assault.
Mrs Bundy: “Ornithology happens to be my avocation.
Birds are not aggressive creatures, Miss. They bring beauty
to the world. It is mankind-”
Waitress, in background: “Sam! Three southern fried
chicken. Baked potatoes on all of them!”
Mrs Bundy: “It is mankind rather, who insists upon making
3 Melanie follows the flight of a bird
until it lands on the climbing frame,
now completely covered with avian
it difficult for life to exist upon this planet. Now if it were not
interlopers. She nervously rushes in to
for birds-”
warn the school, certain another attack
In the background another bird attack begins. is imminent. It is.

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frightfest

what has
frightfest
ever done for
horror?
The London splatter extravaganza is
celebrating its 15th gore-filled outing this
year. SFX looks back at the influence and
impact of the Woodstock of horror

Putting the fun into

fear. FrightFest enters
its 14th year.

124 SFX presents Horror Subscribe at www.sfx.co.uk/subscriptions

 frightfest

Crowd mentality
03
“FrightFest isn’t just a film festival that
we put on, it’s something bigger than
that,” says Jones, reminiscing about
relationships and friendships that have
formed as a result of a festival which prides itself on
its social side as much as its line-up. “The most
moving moment that ever happened was Kevin,
The FrightFestTeam who used to look after our website. When he died
get ready for more his mother said FrightFest was so important to him
gory fun – and hang
out with Ross Noble. that when they buried him the coffin had his
FrightFest pass on top.”

Brit power
01
“For the last 30 years I’d been travelling round Europe going to film
festivals and I never understood why a major capital city like London
didn’t have a big horror film festival,” says FrightFest founder Alan
Jones, who set up the UK’s premier scarefest back in 2000. Along
with Paul McAvoy, Ian Rattray and Greg Day, FrightFest programmes five days
packed with premieres, previews, exclusives, guests, Q&As, documentaries and The monsters come
retrospectives over the August bank holiday weekend. It now stands toe-to-toe
out to play at
FrightFest 2012.
with Sitges Film Festival, Fantastic Fest and Fantasia as the best in new horror.

Pushing boundaries
04
FrightFest doesn’t shy away from controversy, hosting the first
screenings of films such as Audition, Hostel, The Woman and
Martyrs. “We had one walkout with Marytrs. Someone got up and
said ‘I don’t think this is entertainment!’ I was really shocked. I said.
‘What the fuck are you doing? Go back in there and watch the end!’” Jones
laughs. “That’s what horror is about – taking issues and putting them on the
screen in a way that forces the message across.” This year, hardcore horror fans
should look out for two hotly tipped new films: Alleluia by Fabrice Du Welz and
The Harvest by John McNaughton.

Legends revisited
05
Each year FrightFest runs retro screenings – it’s a chance for fans to
catch classic movies on the big screen. Over the years the fest has
hosted retrospectives of Hammer and Roger Corman, screened the
first three of George Romero’s Dead movies (to celebrate the release
of Land Of The Dead) as well as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and An American
Werewolf In London. This year they’ve got a special 30th Anniversary screening
of A Nightmare On Elm Street and a screening of The Shining, presented by
Stanley Kubrick’s widow.

George Romero was a

FrightFest guest and
ran into this gang of
old friends.
Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs
proved controversial,
even at the festival.

Celeb spotting
02
FrightFest is a great place for autograph
hunting. The event has boasted visits
from stone cold horror legends George
Romero, John Landis, Dario Argento
and Tobe Hooper as well as Guillermo del Toro,
Park Chan-wook, Neil Marshall, Uwe Boll and Rob
Zombie “Rob Zombie I couldn’t stand,” says Jones.
“I really found him so objectionable.”

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frightfest

Digging for treasure

06
And sometimes they unearth hidden
gems. FrightFest was home to an early
screening of Clive Barker’s Nightbreed:
The Cabal Cut, which edits together
previous missing material from the original film
increasing its run time to 155 minutes. FrightFest
also screened Tobe Hooper’s previous unreleased
first film Eggshells – a bizarre, trippy hippy movie,
which is, frankly, terrible. But still an interesting
curio nonetheless.

Beautiful beginnings
07
FrightFest loves to cultivate new talent.
Filmmakers “discovered” and boosted by
the fest include Ti West, whose evil bat
movie The Roost premiered there before
he made excellent indies House Of The Devil and
The Innkeepers, as well as Eli Roth (Cabin Fever),
Alexandre Aja (Switchblade Romance), Greg
McLean (Wolf Creek) and Christopher Smith The execrable Wrong Turn
(Creep). The next big thing according to Jones? 2: Dead End was one of
Nicolas McCarthy, who directed The Pact and the lesser films aired.
Home, playing this year. You heard it here first.

Pan’s Labyrinth, on the

other hand, was recognised
as an instant classic.

Two stars are born

10
For better or worse, Adam Green and Joe
Lynch are also “a thing” thanks to
FrightFest. As well as screenings of the
Hatchet movies and Wrong Turn 2, the
two directors made a series of shorts screened
between films, riffing on The Twilight Zone and An
American Werewolf In London and securing
themselves dubious FrightFest celebrity status. To
be fair, Adam Green’s ski-lift survival horror Frozen
(which also screened at FrightFest) is pretty good.

Freddy and Jason are

coming to get you...

The Dawn Of del Toro

08
Guillermo del Toro has been a patron of FrightFest for years,
dubbing it “The Woodstock Of Gore”. The Devil’s Backbone and
Hellboy (with a special guest appearance from Ron Perlman)
screened at FrightFest but it was Pan’s Labyrinth that really elevated
the relationship. “When Pan’s Labyrinth opened in Cannes every festival wanted
it,” recalls Jones. “He gave it to us and he turned up with Alfonso Cuarón.” Del ...But Let The Right
Toro gave an introduction, even promising members of the FF audience that he’d One In’s Eli doesn’t
take a look at any etchings they wanted to show him after the movie finished. seem too worried.

Let The Right Ones In

09
FrightFest has held the first UK screenings of some of the most
exciting and significant horrors and thrillers released in the last 15
years including Let The Right One In, The Orphanage, Ginger Snaps,
Jeepers Creepers, Cabin Fever, Old Boy, Wolf Creek, The Devil’s
Backbone, Trollhunter, Tucker & Dale Vs Evil, You’re Next and many more. Want
to know what's going to be the next big thing in horror? It’ll be here.

126 SFX presents Horror

 frightfest

Tipping the trends

11
A good way to pick out the next trend in
horror is to check out the FF line up. As
well as the dawn of Asia Extreme, the fest
has seen the emergence (and subsidence)
of New French Extremism, the Spanish
revolution, a re-birth in survival horror and
vampires biting back. What’s next? “We’ve got
four movies with werewolves in,” shrugs Jones.
“But I tell you what is interesting: The Remaining.
It’s the first of 15 movies made specifically for
midwest religious groups. I expected it to be total
crap but it really won me over. I’ve chosen that to
go in because people will be surprised by it and
recognise this might be an interesting way the
genre is moving.”

Battle Royale: the

cutesy tale of one girl
and her doll. Or not.

Asian explosion
13
Back in 2000 J-horror and K-horror wasn’t
the remake generator it later became – it
was something new, and FrightFest was at
the forefront. Showing Ringu 2 as part of
its very first line-up, FF boosted the Asia Extreme
movement with screenings of The Eye, Dark Water,
Battle Royale, The Happiness Of The Katakuris, The
Isle, Gozu and Oldboy with director Park Chan-
wook travelling to London to introduce it.

Horror for starters

14
“The horror genre is where most talent
starts off in the first place. Go back in
history and you’ll see that most people
who have amounted to anything started
out making small budget horror films,” says Jones.
It’s why the fest has also hosted guests Nicolas
Winding Refn (Fear X), Danny Boyle (28 Days
Later) and Christopher Nolan (Insomnia) “We got
him just as he was going off to Hollywood. He was
really charming. Like Gareth Edwards with
Monsters. You can see the people who are going to
go on and make it really big. They’ve got this aura.”

The Human Centipede The Human Centipede.

There’s not a lot else

12
“Who knew what was going to happen to say about this.
with that!” laughs Jones, who gave mad
Dutch director Tom Six his first showcase
for the “100% medically accurate” body
shocker which has spawned not only a sequel, with
another one on the way, but also a raft of
merchandising and pop culture spoofs. Whether
you’ve seen it or not, The Human Centipede is now a
part of international consciousness. Thank you very
much, FrightFest!

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 127

Shot in the Peruvian jungle using
tribes-people as the cast,
gore-father Eli Roth’s The Green
Inferno dishes up a bloody
feast with plenty of greens. The co
ntroversial director tells
Rosie Fletcher about his meaties
t movie so far
 ELI ROTH
Gore-master Eli Roth gets
his hands dirty on set.

“ e took cameras farther than anyone has

ever brought a film crew before. We shot
deep in the Amazon and we filmed in a
“I love the old Italian cannibal movies,
village where the people have no contact
with the outside world. We went out in There’s a fearless filmmaking in the
a boat with a generator, a television and a
DVD player and we showed the whole village movies of Ruggero Deodata, Umberto
Lenzi and Sergio Martino” ELI ROTH
Cannibal Holocaust. They thought it was a
comedy,” grins Eli Roth. “If you went to a five-year-old kid in the
village and asked them, ‘What is a movie?’, they’d say, ‘Oh, that’s
where you pretend to eat other people.’” Lenzi, Sergio Martino. I feel like these people went to parts of the
A remote location and a wildly challenging shoot hasn’t dulled world where no one else had ever brought cameras. And I feel like
the dark sense of humour of the 42-year-old director and prolific I wanted to see if there were any parts that were like that left. If
producer. Eli Roth, friend to Quentin Tarantino and star of there was anything left to explore.”
Inglourious Basterds, made his name with splattery infectioner
Cabin Fever before inadvertently siring the torture porn subgenre GETTING THE LOCALS INVOLVED
with Hostel and Hostel 2. Now talking to SFX from the Edinburgh Accompanied by his producers and armed with a machete to
Film Festival where his fourth directorial outing The Green hack through the jungle, Roth went exploring, travelling by river
Inferno has gone down a storm with gore hounds and cineastes and guided by locals until he found the perfect Peruvian village,
alike, he’s animated and articulate when he talks about his latest populated by a tribe completely unfamiliar with the concept of a
passion project. Global in scale, it’s an endeavour which took him movie. Despite the strangeness of the project, after a vote from the
away from civilisation to darkest Peru, where a group of student tribal elders, the villagers were willing to join Roth’s production
activists, including naive idealist Justine (Lorenza Izzo) and the and not only help out with sets and as crew but also play characters
charismatic Alejandro (Ariel Levy), plan to save the rainforest from in the film – hyper-real horror versions of themselves. The result
an aggressive development project. But when they get there, the is arresting but alarming, vibrant and unusual while maintaining
indigenous tribes they come to rescue prove less than amenable. Roth’s stomach churning levels of gore. Dense verdant landscapes
“I love the old Italian cannibal movies,” explains Roth. “There’s contrast against the bright red dye the villagers are doused in,
a fearless filmmaking in the movies of Ruggero Deodata, Umberto providing a colourful bit of foreshadowing for the terrors to come.

www.sfx.co.uk SFX presents Horror 129

 Roth On Roth
The torture daddy dissects his own work

Cabin Fever
“With Cabin Fever I felt like there was nothing violent,
there was no more blood, I missed those ’80s style
cabin movies and splatter. At the time it was seen as a
very violent splatter film, even though now it’s still
tame in comparison. In Cabin Fever the kids want to go
as far away from civilisation as they can and that ends
up blowing up in their face and they can’t get help.”

Hemlock Grove my comfort zone. I’d never

of
“It’s certainly out eone else’s
else’s material, som to get out of
directed someone ht ‘It’s time for me
I tho ug
character s and grow and learn
I’m never going to out Netflix is
the comfort zone. Wh at I love ab
stuff.’
just doing my own episode on at once, so you can
ry
they’re putting eve two’s coming
hour movie. Season
film it like it’s a 13- py with it.”
hap
out and I’m really

Hostel
“People said, ‘This movie’s too violent for cinemas, no
one will accept it.’ And it went on to be a hit. It went
beyond being a horror movie and that I’m proud of.
That I came up with a movie that upset people so
much that they felt that calling it a horror movie wasn’t
enough they had to invent a new term for it which is
what happened a week after Hostel came out. I
thought, ‘Oh fuck this is going to stay with me forever,’
but the fact was I wanted to push the button.”

Hostel 2 ie is,
ut it. This is what this mov
“I was unapologetic abo subject
you don ’t like it, don ’t watch it. This is a scary
if the
into a disturbing trend and
matter and it’s tapping
a commodity and can be
way that people become
do all the stuff that I was
bought and sold. You can t
tel 2 in 2006 when I sho
basically predicting in Hos . Peo ple paying and
pen ing now
that movie. It’s hap ‘You’re
people. People can say
ordering hits and killing but it’s human behaviour.”
thes e thin gs,’
sick to think of

Torture porn
“People who categorise
them as such, I think it
says much more about the
journalist than it does
about the movies. Torture
porn is such an easy
term to label something
it’s a headline, it’s a term
because it’s a buzz word, Isn’t that Johnny Depp as
moment in time. And I feel
from a particular Captain Jack Sparrow?!
like it’s a very dated
term and I feel like it has
nothing to do with those
movies. But if that’s wha
t people are going to call
it I can’t control that.”
 ELI ROTH

Pop star Sky Ferreira plays one

of the unlucky activists...

“I wanted it to look like a Werner Herzog movie. I wanted it

to look like Apocalypse Now. And I wanted a movie that was in a
completely different palette than the haunted house ghost movies
“At customs they stopped all the
going on,” says Roth. “It’s lush and beautiful and it’s so authentic.
All the animals in the movie are real. We filmed the black jaguar; make-up, all the heads, all the body
we had to film it separate from the actors or it would have killed
them. We’re in a village in the Amazon with tarantulas and snakes. parts, We had to open everything
to show that they were fake” ELI ROTH
Wild horses would walk through shot. It was dangerous as hell
and I don’t know if I could do it twice, but it was an absolutely
amazing experience.”
everyone’s been waiting for that big scene and I felt like the gore,
POLITICALLY MINDED the scares and the kills really deliver.” Take our advice then: The
Though visually it’s a way from Roth’s repertory, thematically it’s Green Inferno will probably put you off your dinner.
sympathetic (“This is the third in what you might call my ‘Travel Confessing he’s less than enamoured with an over-reliance on
Trilogy’,” Roth explains). Arrogant Americans out of their depth in green screen, Roth was determined to keep the money shots as
places they can’t control. A fear of foreigners? If so Roth offers it real as possible – no mean feat in a shoot which took place in the
as a counterpoint to the lazy politics of what he calls “slacktivists”, middle of the jungle. “At customs they stopped all the make-up, all
“people just retweeting hashtags to look like they care.” the heads, all the body parts,” he recalls. “We had to open every
His characters – particularly daughter of a UN lawyer, Justine single thing to show that they were fake and that they were made
– may have the motivation and good intentions to head to the out of foam. It was a nightmare of paperwork because apparently
jungle themselves but they have no real idea what they’re getting shipping body parts is actually a problem in Peru...”
themselves into. “These kids get into trouble that is way more
serious than they know how to handle, they think of themselves as FIGHTING THE TIDE
the saviours of these people who just think of them as intruders,” But is there still a place for an ultra-violent cannibal movie harking
says Roth. And things go from bad to worse. back to the Italian exploitationers in a cinematic landscape where
Of course, as a forefront figure in modern gore, Roth is expected Paranormal is the new normal? Positive responses from early
to deliver when it comes to the red stuff. “If I’m making a horror festival screenings at Sitges, Toronto and Edinburgh suggest there
film there’d better be something that tops everything I’ve done may well be a taste for fresh meat. For his part, Roth certainly
previously,” he hints. “I should have those high standards for thinks so too.
myself and the fact that people expect that much from me I take as “Each time I’m making a movie I’m fighting a tidal wave of
a huge compliment.” people saying, ‘No one wants to see that.’ But my point is that
And working with FX legends Howard Berger and Greg audiences don’t know what they want to see until you give it to
Nicotero of KNB EFX, on a movie where a significant number of them,” he says. “They want a great experience; they want a great
cast members will almost certainly get eaten, it looks like Roth’s rollercoaster ride.”
outdone himself. But how about the villagers who were the stars of the film?
“That first setpiece that we’re really teasing the audience with The sheer practicalities of the location and the need to transport
I’m very proud of,” he says. “It involves every person in the village. generators and a TV overseas means Roth hasn’t had the chance
It was incredibly hard to shoot. We’re following so many different to do a Peruvian village premiere just yet but the director says that
characters and it was very very brutal scene. It’s that scene where he’s dying to.
people go, ‘I shouldn’t have gotten a ticket for this movie it’s “They’re going to love it,” he buzzes enthusiastically. “You’re not
going to be too much… I don’t know if I’m going to make it to the going to be able to hear the dialogue because they’re going to be
end, this is way more than I thought it was going to be.’ I felt like laughing the whole time...”

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THE STRAIN
TV PREVIEW

16to know about

things you need

the strain
It’s the new horror TV show from Guillermo del Toro and Lost’s
Carlton Cuse. Tara Bennett finds out more…

132 SFX presents Horror Subscribe at www.sfx.co.uk/subscriptions

 THE STRAIN

SAVAGERY & SCARES

03
If you had to pick a contemporary
cinematic storyteller in film or television
more perfectly suited to restore
vampires back to the land of savagery
and scares, an inspired choice would be writer/
director Guillermo del Toro. First of all, he’s giddy
about the horror genre and has no time for the
recent trend of de-fanging some of history’s
greatest monsters to make them sympathetic, or
god forbid, sexy for today’s audiences.

it’s dEL TORO’s return to vamps

01
Del Toro’s already tinkered quite successfully with bloodsucker
mythology in the films Cronos (1993) and Blade II (2002). The man
just knows how to shake out the coffin crud and make vampires feel
fresh, which is what he’s attempting to do with the television
adaptation of his own The Strain novels, co-written with Chuck Hogan.

carlton cuse
04
Carlton Cuse was a fan first and then a collaborator second. “I’d
read the book because I was a fan of Chuck Hogan and obviously of
Guillermo del Toro’s movies,” Cuse admits in an exclusive chat with
SFX. “I thought it was an interesting collaboration so I wanted to
read it. Sometime after that I got a call from my agent who said they were
interested in doing The Strain as a television series and would I be interested
in sitting with Guillermo.” Cuse said yes to the offer and development of the
series was on.

destined for Television

05
Del Toro originally conceived of The Strain as a television series but
couldn’t get funding so he adapted the idea into the book trilogy with
Hogan. Once they turned into bestsellers, del Toro was able to find a
lot more interest in bringing the material back to its mother medium.

13 is a lucky number
02
In a 13-episode run starting in the States
this month (July), del Toro, Hogan and
executive producer Carlton Cuse (Lost)
merge science with vampire lore as New
York City becomes the entry point for a parasitic
worm that unleashes a fast-moving viral contagion
which threatens to turn all of humanity into
vampiric monsters. A handful of resolute humans,
from a CDC scientist to a Holocaust survivor with
lots of vampire smarts, embark on a race against the
spread throughout the city.

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THE STRAIN

a fresh new spin

06
There have been a lot of successful book
to television adaptations of late, from
Game Of Thrones to Hannibal, but there
are always those loyal to the source
material that fear adaptions will just rehash the
books without any originality. Cuse says that’s not
an issue and assures, “Even if you read the books,
you can still really enjoy this.”

development
07
Because of del Toro’s ambitious
intentions with the vampires and
mythology, Cuse reveals the series has
been given a lot of time to take shape.
“It’s funny because I’ve been working on this for
two years. We spent a long time developing the
project much more like you would develop a movie
than a TV show. The genre space is very crowded
but I think The Strain will feel fresh and it’s
engaging. I also think that Guillermo’s creature
work is terrific.”

Characters
11
Expect a lot more story and character
development than the books because The
Strain’s pilot chewed up a lot of the first
book and there’s still 12 hours left to fill.
“The books were a good guide to the first season,
but we added a lot of stuff along the way,” Cuse

casting explains. “Part of the craft of the first season is

figuring out how to dole out information so that you

08
The core cast from the books, don’t get into expositional overload which would be
including CDC Canary Team leader Dr didactic or you get confused.”
Ephraim “Ep” Goodweather (Corey
Stoll), Holocaust survivor and vampire
expert Professor Abraham Setrakian (David
Bradley), Dr Nora Martinez (Mía Maestro) and
rat catcher Vasiliy Fet (Kevin Durand), all
transfers over to the series with character actors
that Cuse says give the show a cinematic feel. “We
were fortunate that our casting process went
over almost a year so it was much more like a
feature cast. We got a really great cast.”

shock value
09
Today’s television execs are obviously a lot more comfortable with
visceral horror considering the success of The Walking Dead and
American Horror Story, so it begs the question: will The Strain follow
that gory path? Cuse muses that question and offers, “I say it’s a
thriller with horror elements. We’re not trying to shock for shocks sake. We’re
trying to make it organic to the way the story unfolds but there are moments
that are pretty hardcore. When you are dealing with gruesome creatures you
have some gruesome moments.”

del toro’s creature

10
Speaking of the creatures, which evolve biologically through a human’s
body and then turn it into a whole new entity, del Toro’s given Cuse the
narrative reins while he’s focused on the concept development of the
vampires and parasitic worms. “It’s interesting when you do a show
like this because you have to do a lot of world inventing. He’s been very involved
with the creature creation and the visual effects and aesthetics,” Cuse explains.

134 SFX presents Horror

 THE STRAIN

PRACTICAL EFFECTS
12
Any fan of del Toro’s knows the man
loves practical special effects for a more
tactile connection with the scares and
his audience. Cuse confirms fans should
expect the same in The Strain. “It’s a combination
of actors, prosthetics, puppetry and visual
effects. It’s an amalgam and complicated but
that’s what makes it cool.”

Goodweather
13
“Ep” Goodweather is the anchor of the
book and the series, so finding the right
guy to play him created a long search for
Cuse and del Toro. As it turns out House
Of Cards actor Corey Stoll won the race. Cuse
enthuses, “Guillermo and I considered a lot of
different guys to play Ephraim, but Corey just
jumped out at us because we needed someone
who is really powerful and intelligent.”

Setrakian
15
Harry Potter fans, if you thought actor
David Bradley was kick ass as Argus Filch,
just you wait until you see what he does
with Setrakian. “David Bradley has the
extremely difficult role to step into as the guy who
has been hunting these creatures his whole life,”
Cuse reveals.” He’s the sage badass. I didn’t want
him to be the sentimental grandpa guy. Abraham
Setrakian is a badass.”

it’s a LOST REUNION?

16
Cuse created his own post-Lost reunion by
hiring actor Kevin Durand, who played
scary Martin Keamy on the island drama.
Durand is Fet, a guy who works as a rat
catcher for the city of New York. Cuse says, “I had a
really good experience working with Kevin. He’s
played a lot of scary bad guys but he’s a tremendous
actor. I think the audience will love him. It’s a
wonderful character and he brings charm and
humour to this part. For people familiar with Kevin,
this is a very different thing for him.”

A UK broadcaster has yet to be announced, but

don’t expect to wait long for news on that front.

it has aN EXCITING CAST

14
Cuse is excited about the cast featuring a mix of recognisable and new
faces including Sean Astin (The Lord Of The Rings) and Mía Maestro,
best known for playing Sydney Bristow’s half-sister on Alias. “She’s a
wonderful actress and she plays Ep’s fellow doctor and love interest
who works for the CDC. She has brought a warmth and humanity to the role.”
As for a new face, Cuse teases the work of Miguel Gomez. “We found him to
play ‘Gus’ Elizalde, who is a former boxer and hasn’t done a lot of work so far.
He’s done a tremendous job and is really going to break out.”

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Christopher Lee

the ultimate guide to

Christopher Lee Russell Lewin takes you on a whistlestop tour
through the horror great’s scary CV

C
hristopher Lee (“Sir” since 2009, when Star Of All Time, and offer capsule reviews on
SFX’s campaign paid off – true! Check out ALL his horror features. We hope you enjoy
issue 181 page three) has made around reading it as much as we did compiling it.
275 films, including more horror films Note: For our main list we have decided to
than anyone else you could ever name. include both Lee’s “full-blooded” horror films as
His most prolific period was the ’60s and well as ones that can be considered “borderline”
’70s when he, Peter Cushing and Vincent Price cases (eg Rasputin, the Fu Manchu films,
regularly had their names on the posters of the Hammer pirates films), and the list includes both
big shockers of the day. He continues to make supernatural films (SFX’s lifeblood) and non-
genre films at the venerable age of 92. supernatural films (which we only tend to cover
Here we salute an actor who can in Horror Specials like this). TV movies are not
unquestionably be called The Greatest Horror included – not enough space!

136 SFX presents Horror

 Christopher Lee

Alias John Preston

1955 • Director: David MacDonald
Cast: Alexander Knox, Betta St John,
Bill Fraser
The new rich man about town may be
psychologically imbalanced. Talkative
B-feature without much personality of
its own.

The Curse Of Pete

Cushinrg!
Frankenstein
1957 • Director: Terence Fisher
Cast: Peter Cushing, Hazel Court,
Robert Urquhart
Dr Frankenstein defies the laws of God and
creates a monster out of separate body
parts. The movie that set Hammer on 20
years of ghoulish success has of course As a frightened Sir Henry
lost some of its gory relish but remains a in Hammer’s The Hound
seminal film of its genre. Of The Baskervilles.

Dracula Pete
Cushinrg! Corridors Of Blood
1958 • Director: Terence Fisher 1958 • Director: Robert Day
Cast: Peter Cushing, Michael Cast: Boris Karloff, Betta St John,
Gough, Melissa Stribling Finlay Currie
Hammer’s version of Bram Stoker’s tale A doctor develops an opium-based
alters the story considerably and style-wise anaesthetic to which he becomes addicted.
sets horror films on a new course – not to Handsome semi-horror which could have
mention plotting the careers of the three done with a few more sparks. Lee’s creepy
fine male stars, so it deserves plaudits for as Resurrection Joe and there’s a frisson
that alone. Viewed by the young today it seeing him in the same picture as horror
might raise more chuckles than gasps, such king Karloff.
is the familiarity with the material, but it
Attacking fellow horror

The Man Who Could

retains its class and there are moments in legend Peter Cushing
it – Dracula’s demise for example – that are in The Mummy.
worthy of any era.

His first true horror Cheat Death The Hound Of The

IMAGES © Kobal collection (4)

film: The Curse Of Pete

1959 • Director: Terence Fisher Cushinrg!
Baskervilles
Frankenstein.
Cast: Anton Diffring, Hazel Court
A doctor hopes for eternal life by having
gland transplants. Rather stolid Hammer 1959 • Director: Terence Fisher
horror which follows a predictable path. Cast: Peter Cushing, Andre Morell,
John Le Mesurier
Released when Hammer was making
horror films of everything except Cinderella
(though that might have been fun), this
pacy mystery in rich colour still satisfies.

The Mummy Pete

Cushinrg!
1959 • Director: Terence Fisher
Cast: Peter Cushing, Yvonne Furneaux,
Michael Ripper
A curse falls upon men who disturb an
ancient tomb. Enjoyable, brightly coloured
The first of many remake of the Universal horror in what was
vampiric perishings quickly becoming typical Hammer style;
in Dracula.
worth indulging in.

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Christopher Lee

Never trust men

dressed like monks:
The City Of The Dead.

Uncle Was A Vampire

1959 • Director: Steno
Cast: Renato Rascel, Sylva Koscina,
Lia Zoppelli
A man who has inherited a hotel has a
strange relative come to visit. This hard-to-
find Italian horror comedy is fairly typical
of the genre and likely to be found silly
and tiresome by most modern viewers.

The City Of The Dead

1960 • Director: John Llewellyn Moxey
Cast: Patricia Jessel, Valentine Dyall
A woman stays at an inn in a New England
village known for witchcraft. Amicus’s first
feature is this taut and atmospheric tale
which happens to have plot similarities to
Psycho. The Pirates Of
The Two Faces The Terror Of The Tongs Blood River 1962 • Director: John Gilling

Of Dr Jekyll
1961 • Director: Anthony Bushell
Cast: Kerwin Mathews, Andrew Keir,
Cast: Geoffrey Toone, Yvonne Monlaur,
Oliver Reed
Burt Kwouk
1960 • Director: Terence Fisher Pirates attack a village, convinced it
In Hong Kong in 1910, an evil gang rules
Cast: Paul Massie, Dawn Addams, Oliver Reed contains secret treasure. Standard blood
the province. Flat Hammer yarn with a
and thunder from Hammer; a decent romp.
A doctor accidentally unleashes the dark narrative that singularly fails to inspire any
side of his nature. Perfunctory Hammer excitement, despite the odd gory moment.
adaptation which cheats by not showing
the actual transformation from the bearded
Jekyll to the clean-shaven Hyde. Sherlock Holmes And
Taste Of Fear The Deadly Necklace
The Hands Of Orlac 1961 • Director: Seth Holt
Cast: Susan Strasberg, Ronald Lewis, 1962 • Director: Terence Fisher
1960 • Director: Edmond T Greville Ann Todd Cast: Thorley Walters, Senta Berger
IMAGES © Kobal collection (5)

Cast: Mel Ferrer, Lucile Saint-Simon,

A woman who nearly drowned and is Sherlock Holmes tries to stop Professor
Donald Pleasence
confined to a wheelchair keeps seeing Moriarty getting hold of Cleopatra’s
A pianist who has been badly burned in her dead father. Hammer’s first and best jewellery. German Holmes film that doesn’t
a plane crash believes he has the hands Les Diaboliques imitation is an engaging hang together despite some nice elements;
of a murderer grafted onto him. Woeful, and twisty chiller full of banging shutters, it never feels personable (the dire dubbing
bottom-of-the-barrel shocker devoid of flickering candles and sudden shocks. of the leads may be partly to blame).
sense, atmosphere and drive.

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 Christopher Lee

Katarsis
1963 • Director: Giuseppe Veggezzi
Cast: Bella Cortez, Lilli Parker, Piero Vida
A group of youths come across an unusual
old man in a castle. Lee’s strangest and
most obscure Euro horror has been seen
by two men and a dog: we haven’t seen it,
but going by comments from those who
have it sounds like there are very good
reasons for its disappearance.

Devil-Ship Pirates
1964 • Director: Don Sharp
Cast: Barry Warren, Michael Ripper
In the 16th century, a pirate ship arrives in
a small English coastal town. Adequate,
rather lacklustre pirate yarn with horror
overtones.

Not Fu Manchu in The

Terror Of The Tongs.

Crypt Of The Vampire

1964 • Director: Camillo Mastrocinque
Cast: Adriana Ambesi, Ursula Davis
Early Count Dooku Count Karnstein suspects that his
preparation in
Devil-Ship Pirates? daughter is possessed by the spirit of a
dead ancestor, Carmilla. Lee’s not in this
Sheridan Le Fanu adap of Carmilla a great

Horror Castle deal, and it’s a bit tamer and more leisurely
than we’d like, but it’s still tempting
viewing for students of Euro horror.
1963 • Director: Antonio Margheriti
Cast: Rossana Podestà, Georges Rivière,
Jim Dolen
A newlywed bride is taken to a castle by
her husband where torture devices are Castle Of The
still in use. Euro horror with a rich gothic
atmosphere and a less interesting script;
another problem is that it isn’t Lee dubbing
Living Dead
his voice in the English version. One for 1964 • Directors: Luciano Ricci,
those who like frightened looking women Lorenzo Sabatini
in nightgowns wandering round castle Cast: Gaia Germani, Philippe Leroy,
corridors. Donald Sutherland
A Count invites a circus troupe to his
castle, but his intentions are nefarious.

The Whip And The Flesh Italian horror notable for being
Sutherland’s first speaking role and having
future Witchfinder General director Michael
1963 • Director: Mario Bava
Cast: Daliah Lavi, Tony Kendall, Ida Galli Reeves on the crew; it’s certainly not
without its faults – the story is quite slow
The ghost of a cruel nobleman returns to and vaguely developed – but shadowy
inflict further misery on residents of his black and white photography among
castle. Bava delivers his usual sumptuous gothic paraphernalia and strange statues
visuals in this kinky tale of sadism in a The Pirates Of Blood River lends it a certain quality, and the drama
gothic setting. Lee is, of course, the guy sadly isn’t quite as juicy as
its title suggests. does become more focused towards the
with the whip. end.

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Christopher Lee
Pete
The Gorgon Cushinrg!
1964 • Director: Terence Fisher
Cast: Peter Cushing, Barbara Shelley,
Patrick Troughton
Medusa stalks a village by night, turning
the inhabitants to stone. The idea is daft,
there’s too much chat and the Gorgon’s
snakes look very fake, but this Hammer
mystery is not without its familiar
pleasures, including the star pairing.
Overall, though, it’s a rather pedestrian,
stagey effort from the famous studio.

Dr Terror’s House Pete

Cushinrg!
Of Horrors
1965 • Director: Freddie Francis
Cast: Peter Cushing, Michael Gough,
Bernard Lee, Roy Castle
Five strangers on a train are told their
fortunes by a mysterious old man. Amicus’s
first horror anthology may be one of their
best known, but it’s not one of their best:
most of the stories are pretty weak. Lee’s
tale is one of the better ones, in which
he plays a snooty art critic who gets
his comeuppance at the, er, hands of a
disembodied hand. It’s the sort of role he’s
best at.

Pete
The Skull Cushinrg!
1965 • Director: Freddie Francis
Cast: Peter Cushing, Patrick Wymark,
Patrick Magee, Michael Gough
Soon to get his
The skull of the Marquis de Sade causes its comeuppance in Dr
Terror’s House Of Horrors.
owner to go mad. Yawn-inducing horror
with an unprepossessing story.

Rasputin, The
The Face Of Fu Manchu Mad Monk
1965 • Director: Don Sharp
Cast: Nigel Green, James Robertson Justice, 1961 • Director: Don Sharp
Howard Marion-Crawford Cast: Barbara Shelley, Richard Pasco,
Joss Ackland
Fu Manchu, long thought dead, appears to
be responsible for a series of strangulations A mysterious monk has a malign influence
in London. First and best of the Lee Fu on the Russian court’s Tsar. Hammer’s
Manchu movies, with some nice Avengers- attempt to turn history into horror only
style setpieces. fails because there aren’t enough good
ideas to flesh the script out. The great Peter Cushing in Dr
Terror, one of many films in
Uncovering more which he co-starred with Lee.
ghastliness in The Gorgon.
The Brides Of Fu
Manchu Circus Of Fear
1966 • Director: John Llewellyn Moxey
1966 • Director: Don Sharp Cast: Leo Genn, Anthony Newlands,
Cast: Douglas Wilmer, Howard Marion- Klaus Kinski
Crawford, Burt Kwouk
A reporter “fakes” a murder – but the
Fu Manchu kidnaps a dozen scientists’ victim turns out to be really dead.
daughters. Lively follow-up to The Face Of Stiff mystery with schlocky moments.
Fu Manchu, not badly done.

140 SFX presents Horror

 Christopher Lee

Night Of The Big Heat Pete

1967 • Director: Terence Fisher Cushinrg!
Cast: Patrick Allen, Peter Cushing,
Jane Merrow
An island off the coast of Britain
mysteriously experiences extremely
hot weather. Discernibly cheap sci-fi
horror which ambles towards a sudden
conclusion.

The Blood Of Fu
Manchud
1968 • Director: Jess Franco
Cast: Richard Greene, Maria Rohm,
Shirley Eaton
Fu Manchu injects girls with poison and
sends them on missions. Appalling drivel.

The Devil Rides Out

1968 • Director: Terence Fisher
Nearly indestructible in Cast: Charles Gray, Patrick Mower,
Rasputin, The Mad Monk. Paul Eddington
Followers of Satan plan to sacrifice the

Castle Of The niece of a Duke. Imaginative horror with

an impressive devil-worshipping setpiece.

Walking Dead
1967 • Director: Harald Reinl
Cast: Lex Barker, Karin Dor, Carl Lange
Dracula Has Risen
An evil nobleman seemingly dead for
35 years returns from the grave. This
From The Grave
European horror has some unusual visuals 1968 • Director: Freddie Francis
– most notably, a forest made out of dead Cast: Rupert Davies, Veronica Carlson,
bodies – but the script, loosely based on Barbara Ewing
The Pit And The Pendulum, is of very little The Count attempts to make the daughter
interest. Lee is absent for much of the of a holy man his bride. Unexciting Hammer
proceedings. horror with little new to offer.

The Vengeance Of The finest screen

vampire of them all?

Another pesky death in

Dracula: Prince Of Darkness.
Fu Manchu
1967 • Director: Samuel Gallu
Cast: Douglas Wilmer, Howard

Dracula: Prince Marion-Crawford

The yellow peril creates a duplicate of

Of Darkness Nayland Smith. Adequate sequel to The

Brides Of Fu Manchu, along similar lines.
1966 • Director: Terence Fisher
Cast: Barbara Shelley, Andrew Keir, Francis

Theatre Of Death
Matthews
Two couples make the mistake of staying
in Dracula’s castle. Routine direct sequel 1967 • Director: Jeremy Summers
to 1958’s Dracula, with little of the [silent] Cast: Julian Glover, Leila Goldoni
Count himself and sadly no Peter Cushing.
The plot is very straightforward and it Vampiric murders in Paris are traced back
struggles to escape its moderate budget. to a theatre. Dingy thriller with very little
horror or flavour of Paris.

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Christopher Lee

Dare they open

The Oblong Box?

Curse Of The
Crimson Altar
1968 • Director: Vernon Sewell
Cast: Boris Karloff, Barbara Steele,
Michael Gough
After his brother disappears, a man visits a
remote country house where black magic
is at work. Talent-wasting stuff which
doesn’t know what to do or how to do it.

Scream And Pete

The Oblong Box Scream Again
Cushinrg!
1966 • Director: Gordon Hessler
Cast: Vincent Price, Rupert Davies 1970 • Director: Gordon Hessler
Cast: Vincent Price, Peter Cushing,
A deformed man is buried alive but
Yutte Stensgaard
escapes and seeks revenge. Pedestrian
shocker with thick period feel. A serial killer who drains his victims of
blood is loose in London. Confused and

The Castle Of Fu
disjointed horror which would have worked
better if it was more spoofy.

Manchu The Bloody Judge

1969 • Director: Jess Franco
1970 • Director: Jess Franco
Cast: Richard Greene, Howard
Cast: Maria Schell, Leo Genn, Maria Rohm
Marion-Crawford
Fu plans to cause chaos by freezing over
the Earth’s oceans. Awful international
In 17th century England, a judge hands out
harsh justice. Dull and witless Witchfinder
General-inspired horror which once again
Count Dracula
hodge-podge from a hopeless helmsman. 1970 • Director: Jess Franco
demonstrates that Jess Franco and cinema
Cast: Herbert Lom, Klaus Kinski, Maria Rohm,
should have never met.
Soledad Miranda

Eugenie… The Story Taste The Blood

Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania
and gets more than he bargained for.
Franco’s “authentic” version is, predictably,
Of Her Journey Into Of Dracula rather poor, with the director displaying
his unique ability to drain the drama and

Perversion 1970 • Director: Peter Sasdy

tension and suspense from classic source
material; his “anti-cinema” aptitude is very
IMAGES © Kobal collection (1)

Cast: Geoffrey Keen, Linda Hayden, Peter

much on show, and there aren’t even any
1970 • Director: Jess Franco Sallis, Roy Kinnear
compensations in the way of sexiness. It’s
Cast: Maria Rohm, Marie Liljedahl
Three elderly gentlemen decide it would quite interesting to see Lee play a different
A young woman is corrupted by followers be a good idea to bring Dracula back sort of Dracula but he disappears from the
of the Marquis de Sade. Slow and senseless to life. Predictable and slightly tired but film later on and never even meets Lom –
erotic drama which is at least quite well reasonably watchable entry in Hammer’s and Kinski says not a word. The scene with
shot, unlike most Franco films. series. the stuffed animals is a corker.

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 Christopher Lee

The House That Pete

Cushinrg!
Dripped Blood
1971 • Director: Peter Duffell
Cast: Peter Cushing, Nyree Dawn Porter,
Denholm Elliott, Jon Pertwee
Four scary tales: “Method For Murder”,
“Waxworks”, “Sweets To The Sweet” and
“The Cloak”. Fairly mild Amicus anthology
which goes downhill after a bright start.
Lee’s story, “Sweets To The Sweet”, in
which he plays a stern father, may go on a
bit, but it produces some of the film’s most
memorable moments, and he is excellent
as a strict disciplinarian father whose cute
little daughter is actually anything but
sweet.

Dracula AD 1972 Pete

Cushinrg!
1972 • Director: Alan Gibson
Cast: Peter Cushing, Stephanie Beacham,
Bothering Caroline Munro Caroline Munro
in Dracula AD 1972.
Dracula comes back to life in 1972 London

Scars Of Dracula where he goes after Van Helsing’s

descendants. This updating proves to
be a mistake from the start, as the script
1970 • Director: Roy Ward Baker
is pedestrian and the “kids” risible.
Cast: Dennis Waterman, Jenny Hanley,
Patrick Troughton
Pete
Horror Express Cushinrg!
A man searches for his brother who was
last seen at Dracula’s castle. Sixth in
Hammer’s Dracula series starts breezily
but then settles down into routine antics 1972 • Director: Eugenio Martin
involving rubber bats. Cast: Peter Cushing, Alberto de Mendoza
In 1906 China, an anthropologist

I, Monster Pete
Cushinrg!
unwittingly unleashes a monster on the
Trans-Siberian Express. Silly but fitfully
effective shocker, a blend of different
1971 • Director: Stephen Weeks
elements.
Cast: Peter Cushing, Mike Raven,
Richard Hurndall

Time to buy the farm

A version of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde using
different names. Lee and Cushing together
Death Line
is always a bit of a treat, and this is pretty 1973 • Director: Gary Sherman
again, in Scars Of Dracula.
good fun. Cast: Donald Pleasence, Norman Rossington
Passengers on the London Underground
The same old schtick in are abducted by a monster who lives in the
The Castle Of Fu Manchu. tunnels. The subject matter is of interest
to both transport and 1970s British horror
aficionados but this much-mentioned
movie is actually rather dull, a victim
of its slender plot, although it can be
atmospheric.

Nothing But The Night Pete

1973 • Director: Peter Sasdy Cushinrg!
Cast: Peter Cushing, Diana Dors,
Keith Barron, Michael Gambon
A mysterious orphanage is investigated
after a series of deaths. Semi-horror which
loiters pace-wise but provides attractive
scenery, familiar faces and the odd shock.

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Christopher Lee

Having fun with Gremlins

2: The New Batch.

Dark Places
1973 • Director: Don Sharp
Cast: Joan Collins, Robert Hardy,
Herbert Lom, Jane Birkin
A scheming couple hide some stolen loot in
a haunted house. Inert horror which wastes
a good cast and suffers from a very flat
climax.

The Creeping Flesh CuPsehtinerg

1973 • Director: Freddie Francis !
Cast: Peter Cushing, Duncan Lamont,
Michael Ripper, Lorna Heilbron
A Victorian scientist brings the remains of Nastassja Kinski won’t have
a strange humanoid back to London from that nightdress on for long in
abroad, but it comes back to life when To The Devil A Daughter.
exposed to water. Disjointed horror, almost
like three separate stories, all very silly
but generally tolerable, and the monster is
worth waiting for.
Diagnosis: Murder
1975 • Director: Sidney Hayers

The Satanic Rites

Cast: Judy Geeson, Jon Finch, Colin Jeavons
Police suspect a psychiatrist of murdering
Pete
Cushinrg!
Of Dracula Dracula And Son
his wife – but can find no proof. Easily
digestible, twisty murder mystery which
boasts extensive countryside location
1973 • Director: Alan Gibson shooting and an excellent cast. 1976 • Director: Edouard Molinaro
Cast: Peter Cushing, Joanna Lumley, Freddie Cast: Bernard Menez, Marie-Hélène Breillat,
Catherine Breillat

The Keeper
Jones, Michael Coles
Dracula plots to unleash bubonic plague A vampire and his father compete for the
on the world. Classy and lively modern-day same woman. Decidedly weird attempt
1976 • Director: TY Drake
shocker, imaginatively plotted. at a horror comedy, with Lee reprising his
Cast: Tell Schreiber, Sally Gray, Ross Vezarian
role as the Count, in French. An American
redubbed and recut version is the most
The Wicker Man
Wealthy patients at a mental asylum start
dying in mysterious circumstances. Dopey execrable thing you’ll ever see.
and amateurish suspenser, one of Lee’s

Meatcleaver Massacre
1973 • Director: Robin Hardy hardest to find films; he’s the shifty head of
Cast: Edward Woodward, Britt Ekland, the asylum.
Ingrid Pitt
1977 • Director: Evan Lee
A staunchly religious detective visits a
remote Scottish island to investigate
the disappearance of a schoolgirl.
To The Devil A Daughter Cast: Larry Justin, J Arthur Craig,
James Habif
1976 • Director: Peter Sykes
Wholly effective horror that’s like no A professor summons a demon to
IMAGES © Kobal collection (2)

Cast: Richard Widmark, Honor Blackman,

other; bracingly original and constantly slaughter youths who have assaulted him.
Nastassja Kinski
surprising, it benefits from raw location Lee recorded a long occult monologue
shooting and Woodward’s magnificent A novelist battles to save the soul of a that got used at the start and finish of
performance as the policeman who young girl from Satanists. Largely soporific this tedious and shambolic shocker which
maintains his unbending beliefs to the horror that comes to a shuddering halt. fails to deliver anything approaching a
end. It exists in several slightly different Based on a novel by Dennis Wheatley. “massacre”. He claims he had no idea he
versions. was going to be in it.

144 SFX presents Horror

 Christopher Lee
Gremlins 2: The
New Batch
1990 • Director: Joe Dante
Cast: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, John
Glover, Dick Miller
The Gremlins take control of a multimedia
headquarters. Spoofy sequel with plenty of
movie in-jokes and cartoon-like action; it
almost tries too hard.

Curse III: Blood

Sacrifice
1991 • Director: Sean Barton
Cast: Jenilee Harrison, Gavin Hood,
Andre Jacobs
A woman is cursed by tribesmen after
interrupting a sacrifical ceremony. The
third in the Curse series (no, us neither) is
a fairly bland offering with a bit of African
atmosphere. It’s odd that Lee has said he
swore off horror at the end of the ’70s
but still went on appearing in tat like this.

Funny Man
1994 • Director: Simon Sprackling
Cast: Tim James, Benny Young, Ed Bishop
A family are slaughtered by a demonic
jester. Crud horror comedy, a truly dire
attempt at a laddish, north of England-type
The splendidly maned picture; plotless, incoherent, lazy, stupid
Lord Summerisle hails and incompetent.
The Wicker Man.

House Of The Mask Of Murder Talos The Mummy

Pete 1998 • Director: Russell Mulcahy
Cushinrg!
Long Shadows 1985 • Director: Arne Mattsson
Cast: Rod Taylor, Valerie Perrine, Sam Cook
Cast: Jason Scott Lee, Sean Pertwee,
Lysette Anthony
1983 • Director: Pete Walker A serial killer is on the loose in a Canadian London is plagued by strange murders
Cast: Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, village. Tepid thriller with giallo overtones, which may be connected to an ancient
John Carradine, Sheila Keith it’s another Lee film that has all but tomb being opened. The Highlander
disappeared. He plays a policeman. director’s effort is a dud from the word go,
A novelist goes to a remote Welsh manor
slain by deadly pace, wooden acting and
to write his masterpiece but is plagued
hopeless special effects. Astonishingly, the
by the strange inhabitants. Restricted but

Howling II
cast also includes Louise Lombard, Jack
mildly enjoyable spoof variation on an
Davenport, Honor Blackman, Shelley Duvall
old theme which deserves some praise
and Gerard Butler.
for bringing together three [and a half]
1985 • Director: Philippe Mora
masters of the genre.

Sleepy Hollow
Cast: Annie McEnroe, Sybil Danning,
Jimmy Nail
A woman whose sister was murdered by
1999 • Director: Tim Burton
werewolves helps track them down in
Cast: Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci,
Europe. Ghastly sequel that sinks into a
Miranda Richardson
swamp of tatty confusion; the director
thinks he is offering up the sort of horror In 1799, a policeman investigates
that people want to see – gory close-ups, beheadings committed by a headless
sinister puppet shows, kinky monsters horseman. Fairly standard horror
Another day, another – but it’s all a heinous, hideous mess given something extra by the lush
victim: The Satanic soundtracked by especially egregious cinematography and the horribly
Rites Of Dracula.
music. realistic killings.

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Christopher Lee

Corpse Bride
2005 • Directors: Tim Burton, Mike Johnson
Cast: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter,
Emily Watson
A lad accidentally gets married to a dead
woman in the woods. Lee is one of many
stars voicing a character (Pastor Galswells)
in this stop-motion animation that tries and
almost succeeds at being a Roald Dahl-
esque tale.

Burke And Hare

2010 • Director: John Landis
Cast: Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis, Isla Fisher
One of a pair of grave robbers falls in love
with a woman putting on an all-female
production of Macbeth. Completely
uninteresting black comedy which wastes a
half-decent cast and proves, if proof need
be, that this director has lost all vestiges
of the talent he once might have had. The
tone of it is bewildering – just what were
they thinking?

The Wicker Tree

2010 • Director: Robin Hardy
The wonderfully skinny
Cast: Brittania Nicol, Henry Garrett, Pastor Galswells in
Honeysuckle Weeks Corpse Bride.
Two young American evangelists get more
than they bargained for in rural Scotland.
The fear was that this tardy follow-up
to The Wicker Man would be dreadful
The Resident
2011 • Director: Antti Jokinen
in so many ways, but thankfully it isn’t, Cast: Hilary Swank, Jeffrey Dean Morgan,
although of course it’s not up there with Lee Pace
its predecessor. Nicely shot and mercifully
free of modern crudities, it has some things A woman trying to get over her unfaithful
IMAGES © Kobal collection (2)

in common with the 1973 film – including boyfriend moves into a creepy new
use of music and some coquettish apartment. Unremarkable but watchable
eroticism – but surprises and dramatic thriller which offers a familiar, reasonably
tension are in lean supply, and the pace is reliable plot and adds the odd quirk; a few
fairly leisurely. It’s all a little bland, but is more would have been better still. Lee’s
probably still worth seeing for fans of the part as a neighbour is very small, as is
original. always the case nowadays.

Still spooking the

neighbours in The Resident.

One of the best things

about Burke And Hare.

Dark Shadows
2012 • Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer,
Helena Bonham Carter
A vampire from the 1970s is resurrected
and has problems coping in the modern
world. The curse of Burton strikes once
again: a very dull, laboured and overlong
comic horror devoid of zest or levity – or
point.

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 Christopher Lee

Sci-fi & fantasy &

other borderline cases
Sir Chris has, of course, also appeared in scores of other films that can’t be
classed as horror, but which are also SFX territory (albeit some borderline).
So allow us another movie run-down of the great man…
Corridor Of Mirrors (1948) Starship Invasions (1977) The Lord Of The Rings:
Lee’s film debut touches on the subject of Bad Star Wars rip-off from Canada. Lee’s mouth The Return Of The King (2003)
reincarnation. doesn’t move and his voice is dubbed on. And Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning trilogy draws to a
close.
Peter Return From Witch Mountain (1978)
Hamlet (1948) Cushing!
Well, it has a ghost in it, doesn’t it? Lee has an Tolerable sequel to Escape To Witch Mountain. Crimson Rivers 2: Angels Of
uncredited role as a spear-carrier in Olivier’s classic, The Apocalypse (2004)
doomy Shakespeare adap. Da Vinci Code-type grimdom with Jean Reno.
The Silent Flute (1978)
Hercules In The Center Of The Earth (1961) Pretentious fantasy that would have surely been less
Lee is King Lico in Mario Bava’s lopsided but colourful mystically fixated and more exciting if Bruce Lee had Star Wars: Episode III –
and atmospheric fantasy with some choice moments of starred, as originally intended. Revenge Of The Sith (2005)
Pete
madness. Cushinrg! Lee loses his head in the best of George Lucas’s Star
Pete Arabian Adventure (1979) Wars prequels.
g! Cushinr Lee headlines in this action-packed Thief Of Baghdad-
She (1965)
Botched Hammer fantasy remake, with Ursula Andress type fantasy. With Peter Cushing. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (2005)
as the must-be-obeyed one, and Peter Cushing. Lee has the unnecessary part of Dr Wonka in Tim
Jaguar Lives! (1979) Burton’s disappointing Roald Dahl adap.
Another evil role for Lee in this Bond-ish thriller.
Eve (1968) The Golden Compass (2007)
Ropey female Tarzan flick, another of Lee’s Euro Lee briefly turns up as a High Councillor in this fantasy
excursions. The Last Unicorn (1982) that was rather too eager to promise sequels.
Lee voices King Haggard in this popular fantasy
The Magic Christian (1969) animation.
Lee has a cameo as a vampire in Peter Sellers and Alice In Wonderland (2010)
Ringo Starr’s unsatisfactory satire. The Return Of Captain Invincible (1983) Lee voices Jabberwocky in another Tim Burton
Lowbrow superhero spoof interrupted by unwelcome bore-fest.
Julius Caesar (1970) song numbers. Lee is baddie Mr Midnight.
Lee is Artemidorus in this flawed, uncinematic Season Of The Witch (2011)
Shakespeare adap (which also has a ghost!). Lee stars alongside Nicolas Cage’s hair in this dodgy
Mio In The Land Of Faraway (1987) fantasy.
Junior fantasy also featuring a young Christian Bale.
The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes (1970) Hugo (2011)
In one of the very greatest Holmes films, involving Time for a Scorsese film, but unfortunately one of his
midgets, Germans and the Loch Ness Monster. Lee The rainbow thief (1990) more prosaic ones.
plays Mycroft. Obscure fantasy not much liked by the few who’ve
Pete seen it. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Cushinrg!
One More Time (1970) Lee returns as Saruman for around five minutes in this
Lee has a very brief cameo as Dracula in this tiresome Cyber Eden (1992) rather torturous Tolkien adap.
comedy starring Sammy Davis Jr and Peter Lawford. Lee’s roles got smaller and smaller into the ’90s, such
Peter Cushing also appears as Baron Frankenstein. as in this little-viewed sci-fi comedy. Anything Cushing can
do… Lee feels the Force
The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship in the Star Wars universe.
The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) Of The Ring (2001)
Lee does a good job as the tri-nippled assassin in The 21st century saw Lee rocket into mega-budget
Roger Moore’s second Bond film, one which largely productions, including Peter Jackson’s Tolkien trilogy,
fails to replicate the quality of Connery’s outings. as Saruman.

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack Of The

Airport ’77 (1977) Clones (2002)
The all-star cast are literally all at sea in this disaster …And he followed old pal Peter Cushing into the Star
movie sequel. Wars universe as Count Dooku.

End Of The World (1977) The Lord Of The Rings: The Two
Woebegone sci-fi in need of some proper lighting, and Towers (2002)
much else besides. Lee is an alien disguised as a vicar. More interminable fantasy guff absorbing mythical
adventures.

SFX presents Horror 147

 Cornered
A taster strip from London Horror Comic
London Horror Comic is an acclaimed anthology comic that
has won praise from the likes of Garth Ennis, Stewart Lee and
The Horror Channel. In 2012 it won the “Best Horror
Anthology” for comics at the Horror News Network Awards,
seeing off competition from major American publishers.

Now in its eighth year of publication, it mixes horror and black

humour in equal measure, all under the guidance of
writer-publisher John-Paul Kamath.
On sale now at Gosh! and Orbital Comics and
londonhorrorcomic.com

For more information visit londonhorrorcomic.com

You can also keep up to date on Twitter using @londonhorror

and Facebook.com/londonhorrorcomic

Enjoy.

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the WALKING DEAD

Wea p o n s
Of Ba d -A s s
Des t ru c
Jose
t
ph
io
M
ncC a
te
b e
rs
m
in
e
T
ets the man resp
he Walking Dead
onsible for arming our favourite

zombie hu n

T
hey say that clothes make the man. But and when something’s not. Although we train what it was – it was all in silhouette – so we knew
in a post-apocalyptic world packed with everybody very well with every weapon, every when we got Danai we could rebuild it. In the off
flesh-eating zombies, men and women time they’re gonna shoot I’m right on spot to season I designed the sword, and we added all
are defined by something else – their make sure everybody knows what they’re doing these nice elements to it.
weapons of choice. And the weaponry of – the actors, the extras – so that we can keep the “My wife has a tattoo on the back of her neck,”
The Walking Dead is the responsibility of John safety to the maximum level.” Sanders explains, “which we included on the
Sanders. A prop master for 25 years, Sanders front of the sword – which is the trinity of life.
has been with the show since its second season, HIDDEN MEANINGS It’s kind of a woman thing – it means ‘mind,
designing and customising countless firearms, Safety is of even greater concern when it comes body, soul’. It meant a whole lot to what the
along with a couple of very special, and very to one of The Walking Dead’s most iconic character would later become. If you’ve read the
lethal, items in the arsenal. weapons – Michonne’s katana. King Arthur had comic books you understand that there’s a lot of
“I specialise in weapons,” Sanders tells SFX Excalibur, Bilbo had Sting, and creator Robert Michonne in it. Her character has a lot of depth
when he sits down to chat with us in The Walking Kirkman’s warrior woman (as played by Danai in a lot of areas. So we thought those types of
Dead’s Georgia production office, a short walk Gurira) has a feudal Japanese sword capable of things would be really great to put on the sword.
from where former lawman Rick Grimes and slicing into a brick wall as though it was made of After we talked to Robert Kirkman about it, he
his friends continue their struggle to survive in tissue paper. thought it was great too. Because oddly enough
the show’s fifth season. “It’s what I’ve always “In season two we knew it was coming,” says that also looks like the symbol from Biohazard.
specialised in. I’ve always been around weapons. Sanders of what he describes as his favorite So he thought most people who didn’t know
My grandfather owned a range that was a police prop. “Because it was in the last episode. They would think it was a Biohazard thing, and most
shooting range. I’ve been around all kinds of had not cast Danai by that point, so there was people who did know would think, ‘Oh, wow, that
military weapons. As long as I’ve been in the film a lot of elements to make sure that we weren’t has some real depth to it.’
industry I’ve been around weapons. So it’s a good giving anything away. We picked a specific black “We did a lot of research on different sizes of
fit for me here. I know when something’s safe sword that had no edge, and you couldn’t see katana swords,” adds Sanders, “the scabbard for

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 the WALKING DEAD

Michonne and Daryl are the show’s

most popular characters – but will
they survive season five?

“My grandfather
owned a police
shooting range.
I’ve been around
all kinds of
military weapons”
John Sanders

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the WALKING DEAD

Norman’s fans can

be a bit full on. “I took Norman to
the crossbow
range to show him
how to shoot a
live crossbow. As
soon as he got his
hands on that
Stryker 380 – he
was all over it. He
was like, ‘This
must be mine’”
A scene from the world’s
worst feel good comedy.

Mike SAbo

the sword and the way we wanted to do a specific Of the number of swords used while shooting
design with the leather work on the sword; the The Walking Dead, Sanders remarks, “We own
white that you see on the sword and the white four originals. Three of them are constantly
down the scabbard of the sword. Those things in play. Then we had five additions built – two
in the Japanese art are considered only for top aluminum swords, two plastic swords, and one
warriors. So Robert Kirkman wanted that to rubber sword. One of the plastic swords is a half
continue from the handle down. They chose sword – our visual effects sword. That sword
white, and I told them that white was a very hard, gets a big chunk of the work when we’re doing
difficult prop, because of all the blood and guts big kills, head splittings. Because obviously we
and gore. But they really liked it, because it would don’t take anybody’s head off and we don’t stab
slowly show the ageing over time. anybody all the way through... When you see
Michonne with a sword on her back she’s wearing
SWORD MASTERS one of the three original swords. We took the
“We bought a very, very expensive sword that edge off of two, and one we keep sharp, because
was handmade for us. It was done by Ollin Sword occasionally she does swing the live sword. We
Design. We also wanted the eel skin wrap on it do it, but very rarely. Because that sword will
that is double-knotted, which is for a fighting cut through just about anything – and I mean
sword, as opposed to a decorative sword. We used anything. That sword is lightning sharp, as sharp
eel skin, so the blood would drain off it, and it as anything can be. It is a razor on the edge of a
has double knots so it won’t come loose in your piece of steel, and it’s long. We used it a couple of
hands. We really made it to be a combat sword, times this year. Those things are spectacular.”
but it looks like a very decorative Japanese type Almost as famous as Michonne’s katana is
Michonne really puts her
back into zombie killing.
of sword.” Daryl Dixon’s crossbow. Sanders tells us that

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 the WALKING DEAD

“Says here that if we turn

left then we should be at the
Justin Bieber show...”

actor Norman Reedus took an active role in a great line, but I think that they cut it in the continued on by visual effects. We put rubber tips
selecting his character’s weapon. episode – Martinez and him are talking and on the arrows and then the arrows are hollowed.
“Mike Sabo was the prop master for the first Martinez says, ‘Nice crossbow.’ He goes, ‘Yeah, That way if we fire it, and if we do want to get
six episodes. [Daryl’s first crossbow] was likely early Christmas gift.’” somebody really close, we can actually hit him
chosen based on its availability, and the size of with an arrow.”
it and the sighting on it. Because you have to CUSTOM WEAPONRY This is standard for all of the crossbows on
have it close to Norman’s face all the time. I can Sanders explains that, like all of The Walking the show. “Yeah, all of them are done that way...
guarantee you if [Mike] knew this was gonna Dead’s weaponry, Daryl’s crossbow is We’ve made a rubber crossbow. Those are for
be as big a show as it’s become, he would have customised to the needs of the show. tumbling or falling. You saw Norman in season
opted for a much more advanced version of “One of the things about the 380 was it had two fall off a horse and roll down a hill; that was
that... Once we realised that the show was gonna a big scope on the top – [Daryl’s] does not. with a rubber crossbow on his back. We have a lot
be what it is, I took Norman to the crossbow Because we want to see Norman’s face – we of them. We have six of his new one and we had
range to show him how to shoot a live crossbow. want to see the money – we took that off. Then eight of his old one. The eight old ones are pretty
As soon as he got his hands on that Stryker 380 the limbs, which are the arms in front of the damaged. Norman’s rough on his stuff, but he’s
– which at the time was the top crossbow out crossbow, when they’re not cabled, they’re flat. rough because his character’s rough and he has to
there – as soon as he shot it one time he was all So you have to crank them down. They run on get through stuff.
over it. He was like, ‘This must be mine. I want one cable normally. That way when it pulls back “When we had Norman and Michael Rooker on
a Christmas gift.’ He wasn’t supposed to get it both cables spin and it gives it more velocity in set at the same time,” says Sanders, recalling the
until the beginning of season four, but [former the shot. Well, we alter them. We bend the limbs actors’ third season pairing, “they were the Dixon
showrunner] Glen Mazzara decided that enough in and make one loop on the bottom and then the brothers, and my crew very affectionately named
is enough. When they went to Morgan’s if you top loop is actually a piece of rubber cable that them ‘Fixin’ Dixons.’”
look really fast – there’s only two shots of it – he we had made for us so it can shoot the arrows “Because,” laughs the veteran prop master,
grabs it just as he walks out the door... It was at about ten to fifteen feet. Those arrows are “they could tear some stuff up!”

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BINGO

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9015