Midway through Bob Clark’s Deathdream (originally titled Dead of Night), Andy Brooks (Richard Backus) dons a pair of black leather gloves and sunglasses for an upcoming date. Andy displays a suave and calm demeanor that should be familiar to fans of Jean-Pierre Melville’s 1967 film Le Samouraï, which features Alain Delon as the ne plus ultra of psychotic cool; his haircut even recalls that of Steve McQueen in 1968’s Bullitt. However, Andy’s garb has a tactile purpose, concealing as it does his deteriorating skin, which will turn to dust without a replenishing supply of blood. Because of this, Clark’s genre film goes in the opposite direction of peddling cool, as Deathdream shows how a pair of designer shades can only momentarily shield the irreparable physical and psychological scars of war.
That Deathdream is a vehement anti-war statement can only be ascertained gradually, as Andy’s parents, Charles...
That Deathdream is a vehement anti-war statement can only be ascertained gradually, as Andy’s parents, Charles...
- 5/18/2024
- by Clayton Dillard
- Slant Magazine
Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
Crimson Peak 4K Uhd from Arrow Video
Crimson Peak will haunt 4K Ultra HD on May 21 via Arrow Video. The 2015 Gothic horror/romance is presented in 4K with Dolby Vision, approved by director Guillermo del Toro, and original DTS:X Master Audio sound.
Del Toro co-wrote the script with frequent collaborator Matthew Robbins. Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam, and Jim Beaver star with Doug Jones and Javier Botet appearing as ghosts.
The limited edition set comes with a double-sided poster, four double-sided postcards, and an 80-page book featuring writings by David Jenkins and Simon Abrams, an interview with del Toro, and conceptual illustrations by Guy Davis and Oscar Chichoni, all housed in...
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
Crimson Peak 4K Uhd from Arrow Video
Crimson Peak will haunt 4K Ultra HD on May 21 via Arrow Video. The 2015 Gothic horror/romance is presented in 4K with Dolby Vision, approved by director Guillermo del Toro, and original DTS:X Master Audio sound.
Del Toro co-wrote the script with frequent collaborator Matthew Robbins. Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam, and Jim Beaver star with Doug Jones and Javier Botet appearing as ghosts.
The limited edition set comes with a double-sided poster, four double-sided postcards, and an 80-page book featuring writings by David Jenkins and Simon Abrams, an interview with del Toro, and conceptual illustrations by Guy Davis and Oscar Chichoni, all housed in...
- 3/1/2024
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Zombies have a long history in film, and just like the rest of the horror genre, the evolution of the zombie movie is a topographical study of political and sociological change. From the early appearance of zombies as anti-war symbols in 1919's "J'accuse!" through the Vodou zombies of 1932's "White Zombie," and from the shambling flesh-eaters of George A. Romero's seminal 1968 film "Night of the Living Dead" through the fast-moving rage zombies of Danny Boyle's 2002 epidemiological horror "28 Days Later," zombie movies are a constant but ever-changing staple of cinema.
While those classics of the subgenre make for excellent year-round horror viewing, there are so many underrated and/or underseen zombie movies that deserve your attention. This list highlights 15 of those films: stories about the undead that breathe new life into horror and raise new questions about politics, culture, and art, all while making you scared to walk past a cemetery.
While those classics of the subgenre make for excellent year-round horror viewing, there are so many underrated and/or underseen zombie movies that deserve your attention. This list highlights 15 of those films: stories about the undead that breathe new life into horror and raise new questions about politics, culture, and art, all while making you scared to walk past a cemetery.
- 11/20/2022
- by Jessica Scott
- Slash Film
Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products released each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
Trick ‘r Treat Action Figure from Trick or Treat Studios
Sam from Trick ‘r Treat is getting a deluxe 1:6 scale action figure from Trick or Treat Studios. Due out in March 2023, it stands 10″ tall and features over 30 points of articulation. Pre-orders are open for 199.99 with free shipping.
Sculpted by Alexander Ray, Sam comes with two interchangeable heads (masked an unmasked), six interchangeable hands, two lollipops (bitten and not), razor candy bar, trick or treat bag, light-up flaming jack o’lantern, and a sidewalk base that measures 7.5″ deep and 5.5″ wide. It’s packaged in a window box with opening flap.
Terrifier Shirt from Terror Threads
Celebrate Terrifier 2’s theatrical release with new Terrifier merchandise from Terror Threads.
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
Trick ‘r Treat Action Figure from Trick or Treat Studios
Sam from Trick ‘r Treat is getting a deluxe 1:6 scale action figure from Trick or Treat Studios. Due out in March 2023, it stands 10″ tall and features over 30 points of articulation. Pre-orders are open for 199.99 with free shipping.
Sculpted by Alexander Ray, Sam comes with two interchangeable heads (masked an unmasked), six interchangeable hands, two lollipops (bitten and not), razor candy bar, trick or treat bag, light-up flaming jack o’lantern, and a sidewalk base that measures 7.5″ deep and 5.5″ wide. It’s packaged in a window box with opening flap.
Terrifier Shirt from Terror Threads
Celebrate Terrifier 2’s theatrical release with new Terrifier merchandise from Terror Threads.
- 10/7/2022
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Average fans of A Christmas Story likely don’t know that director Bob Clark had once made creepy horror pictures with Alan Ormsby, but this independent shock effort of the early ’70s still casts a spell of dread. Although Vietnam is never mentioned, the war’s shadow strikes deep into the heart of a small-town family. John Marley and Lynn Carlin lead a fine cast.
Deathdream
Blu-ray + DVD
Blue Underground
1974 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 88 min. / Dead of Night, The
Night Andy Came Home, Night Walk, The Veteran, Whispers / Street Date November 28, 2017 /
Starring: John Marley, Lynn Carlin, Richard Backus, Henderson Forsythe,
Anya Ormsby, Jane Daly, Michael Mazes.
Cinematography: Jack McGowan
Film Editor: Ronald Sinclair
Original Music: Carl Zittrer
Written by Alan Ormsby
Produced by Bob Clark, Peter James, John Trent
Directed by Bob Clark
This gem comes back every ten years in an improved transfer. Bob Clark and Alan Ormsby’s Canadian-financed...
Deathdream
Blu-ray + DVD
Blue Underground
1974 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 88 min. / Dead of Night, The
Night Andy Came Home, Night Walk, The Veteran, Whispers / Street Date November 28, 2017 /
Starring: John Marley, Lynn Carlin, Richard Backus, Henderson Forsythe,
Anya Ormsby, Jane Daly, Michael Mazes.
Cinematography: Jack McGowan
Film Editor: Ronald Sinclair
Original Music: Carl Zittrer
Written by Alan Ormsby
Produced by Bob Clark, Peter James, John Trent
Directed by Bob Clark
This gem comes back every ten years in an improved transfer. Bob Clark and Alan Ormsby’s Canadian-financed...
- 12/5/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Hey, let's dig up a rotting corpse, just for fun! A group of crazy Florida theater students plays a group of crazy Florida theater students in Bob Clark's no-budget, spirited attempt to ride in the wake of Night of the Living Dead. An hour of bad jokes is capped by a satisfying zombie onslaught that got the film a major release and launched a career. That's how a score of good directors got started in the 1970s. Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things Blu-ray Vci Entertainment 1972 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 76 min. / Street Date February 23, 2016 / 24.99 Starring Alan Ormsby, Valerie Mamches, Jeffrey Gillen, Anya Ormsby, Paul Cronin. Cinematography Jack McGowan Film Editor Gary Goch Art Direction Forest Carpenter Original Music Carl Zittrer Special Makeup Creator Alan Ormsby Written by Bob Clark, Alan Ormsby Produced by Gary Goch Directed by Bob Clark credited as Benjamin Clark
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Hitting film school,...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Hitting film school,...
- 1/16/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Perhaps best remembered for the huge success of teen comedy Porky’s (1981) and perennial yuletide fave A Christmas Story (1983), Bob Clark will forever be known to horror fans as the director of Black Christmas (1974) , the taut, flat out scary as hell blueprint for John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978) . However, the same year he made BC, came the potent anti Vietnam parable Deathdream, aka Dead of Night, a chilling indictment on the ravages of war mixed with a spooky EC Comics vibe. Rarely talked about, it still packs a wallop today.
Made right after Clark’s rather boring zombie debut Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things (1972), but not released until August of ’74, Deathdream didn’t make much of a ripple at the box office but did see some solid notices. At the time, there weren’t a lot of films tackling the Vietnam War (most notable was 1968’s execrable John Wayne...
Made right after Clark’s rather boring zombie debut Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things (1972), but not released until August of ’74, Deathdream didn’t make much of a ripple at the box office but did see some solid notices. At the time, there weren’t a lot of films tackling the Vietnam War (most notable was 1968’s execrable John Wayne...
- 9/12/2015
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Reviewed By: Chris Wright, Morehorror.com
Directed By: Bob Clark
Written By: Bob Clark & Alan Ormsby
Starring: Alan Ormsby (Alan), Valerie Mamches (Val), Jeff Gillen (Jeff), Anya Ormsby (Anya), Paul Cronin (Paul), Jane Daly (Terry), Roy Engleman (Roy), Robert Philip (Emerson), Bruce Solomon (Winns), Alecs Baird (Caretaker), Seth Sklarey (Orville)
Long before Bob Clark brought his name to fame in the horror community with “Black Christmas”, he put out a much lower budgeted flick in this third directorial debut with “Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things.” This movie was a pleasant little surprise to me as when I hear horror movies are “comedies” they are hits and misses. I am not the biggest fan of horror comedies thankfully this wasn’t what I thought it was at all. It was more morbid than anything else.
The movie is about a small group of unemployed actors lead by Alan (Alan Ormsby...
Directed By: Bob Clark
Written By: Bob Clark & Alan Ormsby
Starring: Alan Ormsby (Alan), Valerie Mamches (Val), Jeff Gillen (Jeff), Anya Ormsby (Anya), Paul Cronin (Paul), Jane Daly (Terry), Roy Engleman (Roy), Robert Philip (Emerson), Bruce Solomon (Winns), Alecs Baird (Caretaker), Seth Sklarey (Orville)
Long before Bob Clark brought his name to fame in the horror community with “Black Christmas”, he put out a much lower budgeted flick in this third directorial debut with “Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things.” This movie was a pleasant little surprise to me as when I hear horror movies are “comedies” they are hits and misses. I am not the biggest fan of horror comedies thankfully this wasn’t what I thought it was at all. It was more morbid than anything else.
The movie is about a small group of unemployed actors lead by Alan (Alan Ormsby...
- 3/7/2014
- by admin
- MoreHorror
By Chris Wright, MoreHorror.com
Bob Clark (Black Christmas (review)) brings us a disturbing yet sad horror film that gives you the creeps its entire duration. Dead of Night, also released as Deathdream, surprised me at how good it was despite the premise that sounded shaky at first. Also, this is the first movie that Tom Savini was in charge of the special affects. After being released by Gorgon Video and various other labels in the early 1980s, Blue Underground released this movie with special features on DVD.
The premise is a young soldier is killed in Vietnam but the parents get the dream they wished for when their son turns up at their front door seemingly fine. My reaction when I found out about this movie was it was going to be a run of the mill zombie flick. To my surprise, this movie has deeper elements such as...
Bob Clark (Black Christmas (review)) brings us a disturbing yet sad horror film that gives you the creeps its entire duration. Dead of Night, also released as Deathdream, surprised me at how good it was despite the premise that sounded shaky at first. Also, this is the first movie that Tom Savini was in charge of the special affects. After being released by Gorgon Video and various other labels in the early 1980s, Blue Underground released this movie with special features on DVD.
The premise is a young soldier is killed in Vietnam but the parents get the dream they wished for when their son turns up at their front door seemingly fine. My reaction when I found out about this movie was it was going to be a run of the mill zombie flick. To my surprise, this movie has deeper elements such as...
- 7/21/2012
- by admin
- MoreHorror
Wow. Is it that time again already? Seems like it was just yesterday. Oh well, let’s check and see what’s in the bag for us this month. Ooh, I like this one.
A good low budget zombie film that is certainly not getting the credit it deserves. When it comes to zombie films, I’m all about the blood and guts. The more graphic the better, so the fact that this remains one of my top three favorite zombie movies despite an almost complete lack of blood says something.
Let’s take a look back at Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things!
It’s late at night and egotistical stage director Alan (Alan Ormsby) and his band of abused actors have just landed on an island for a little voodoo ceremony. They make their way through the forest, past the cemetery, and finally stop at a deserted cottage.
A good low budget zombie film that is certainly not getting the credit it deserves. When it comes to zombie films, I’m all about the blood and guts. The more graphic the better, so the fact that this remains one of my top three favorite zombie movies despite an almost complete lack of blood says something.
Let’s take a look back at Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things!
It’s late at night and egotistical stage director Alan (Alan Ormsby) and his band of abused actors have just landed on an island for a little voodoo ceremony. They make their way through the forest, past the cemetery, and finally stop at a deserted cottage.
- 3/14/2011
- by Movies Unlimited
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
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