Schlock should never be a dirty word in the world of cinema. Some of my favorite films are utterly devoid of taste and frequently, refinement. The majority of drive-in treasures lie somewhere between perspiration and inspiration, covered in flop sweat and trying desperately to entertain. This is often where you’ll find the films distributed by American International Pictures, and always where you’ll see director Bert I. Gordon’s oeuvre. Empire of the Ants (1977) is no exception.
Released by Aip in July and bringing in $2.5 million, Empire was the follow up to Gordon and producer Samuel Z. Arkoff’s success from the previous year, The Food of the Gods, another “loose” H.G. Wells adaptation, and was an even bigger hit (in B.I.G. terms, anyway—everything’s relative, folks). Naturally dismissed by critics, Empire continues the winning Gordon formula of B stars and groovy, goofy, rear projection grisliness.
Released by Aip in July and bringing in $2.5 million, Empire was the follow up to Gordon and producer Samuel Z. Arkoff’s success from the previous year, The Food of the Gods, another “loose” H.G. Wells adaptation, and was an even bigger hit (in B.I.G. terms, anyway—everything’s relative, folks). Naturally dismissed by critics, Empire continues the winning Gordon formula of B stars and groovy, goofy, rear projection grisliness.
- 8/26/2017
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
1972 | Directed by Joy N. Houck Jr.
(a.k.a Dirty Dan’s Women, Is the Father Black Enough, The Ace of Spades)
“Southern Revenge”
When Denise (Susan McCullough, in her only credited role) returns home to New Orleans with the news that she is pregnant and due to wed back in New York, her oldest brother Dan (James Ralston, The Terminator) is none too pleased, especially when the father and future husband is revealed to be African American. He is as racist as they come and he doesn’t care who knows about it! Fortunately for Denise, her slightly older brother Vance (Mickey Dolenz, The Monkees) is much more supportive. Not that it really matters as she and her fiancee are murdered back in New York by a Vietnam vet-cum-assassin (Patrick Wright, The Abductors). Denise’s fiancee is shot in broad daylight and her death is staged as a grief stricken suicide.
(a.k.a Dirty Dan’s Women, Is the Father Black Enough, The Ace of Spades)
“Southern Revenge”
When Denise (Susan McCullough, in her only credited role) returns home to New Orleans with the news that she is pregnant and due to wed back in New York, her oldest brother Dan (James Ralston, The Terminator) is none too pleased, especially when the father and future husband is revealed to be African American. He is as racist as they come and he doesn’t care who knows about it! Fortunately for Denise, her slightly older brother Vance (Mickey Dolenz, The Monkees) is much more supportive. Not that it really matters as she and her fiancee are murdered back in New York by a Vietnam vet-cum-assassin (Patrick Wright, The Abductors). Denise’s fiancee is shot in broad daylight and her death is staged as a grief stricken suicide.
- 7/21/2015
- by Mondo Squallido
- Nerdly
Since Scream Factory finally ran out of titles to announce for “Shocktober,” Synapse Films decided to uncork a treat on All Hallow’s Eve by revealing plans to bring the underrated and often overlooked 1976 Sasquatchploitation flick Creature from Black Lake… Continue Reading →
The post Synapse Films Is Getting Its Squatch on with Creature from Black Lake appeared first on Dread Central.
The post Synapse Films Is Getting Its Squatch on with Creature from Black Lake appeared first on Dread Central.
- 11/2/2014
- by Foywonder
- DreadCentral.com
This weeks volume of Poster Friday features a random assortment of 70s and 80′s era horror films. That’s as far as I got for organizing any sort of theme…I’m…I’m a lazy lazy man. So without further ado…lets look at some posters!
You have to click the link. That one…right…down there. The “continue reading” one. There ya go.
First up we have a poster for Blood Beach which I included merely for that awkward tagline: Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…you can’t get to it.
Next up is a classic Hammer Horror poster for Dracula Has Risen From The Grave. I love the simple provocative design of this poster, as well as the snarky parenthetical remark.
Lastly we have a poster for Creature From Black Lake by Ralph McQuarrie. Yes, that’s right, Ralph McQuarrie.
You have to click the link. That one…right…down there. The “continue reading” one. There ya go.
First up we have a poster for Blood Beach which I included merely for that awkward tagline: Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…you can’t get to it.
Next up is a classic Hammer Horror poster for Dracula Has Risen From The Grave. I love the simple provocative design of this poster, as well as the snarky parenthetical remark.
Lastly we have a poster for Creature From Black Lake by Ralph McQuarrie. Yes, that’s right, Ralph McQuarrie.
- 8/23/2013
- by Kevin Fraser
- City of Films
In a 1978 profile in Mediascene magazine it was said that the artist Ralph McQuarrie’s life “can be clearly divided into two distinct sections: before Star Wars, he was an industrious, skilled, virtually unknown technical illustrator; after Star Wars, he became the most sought after Production Illustrator ever to work in films.”
McQuarrie, who died last March at the age of 82, was beloved as the man who created the look of Star Wars. His New York Times obituary called him the artist who “helped bring Star Wars to life.” A Montana farm boy, who became a Korean War veteran (he survived a bullet in the head), then became a technical illustrator for Boeing and an animator for CBS’s coverage of the Apollo space program in the 1960s, McQuarrie was also, in the early 70s, a movie poster artist. His poster work seems to have been done mostly, if not exclusively,...
McQuarrie, who died last March at the age of 82, was beloved as the man who created the look of Star Wars. His New York Times obituary called him the artist who “helped bring Star Wars to life.” A Montana farm boy, who became a Korean War veteran (he survived a bullet in the head), then became a technical illustrator for Boeing and an animator for CBS’s coverage of the Apollo space program in the 1960s, McQuarrie was also, in the early 70s, a movie poster artist. His poster work seems to have been done mostly, if not exclusively,...
- 9/17/2012
- MUBI
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