Happy Halloween!

 For Halloween weekend we present Night of the Living Dead from legendary director George Roemro.

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Creepy Crawlies Countdown - Day 7

 Doc Gangrene keeps the 2023 Halloween countdown rolling with a look at the 1977 film Empire of the Ants.

 

 

Creepy Crawlies Countdown - Day 6

 Dr. Gangrene keeps the Halloween countdown going with a look at the 1990 film Tremors!

 

 

 

Creepy Crawlies Countdown - Day 5

 For Day 5 of the Halloween countdown Dr. Gangrene takes a look at the film Bug Buster.

 

 

Creepy Crawlies Countdown - Day 4

 Day 4 of the Halloween countdown continues as Dr. Gangrene takes a look at the slimy slithery classic that is... SQUIRM!

 

 

Creepy Crawlies Countdown - Day 3

 For Day 3 of the Creepy Crawlies Halloween Countdown Dr. Gangrene looks at the giant monster movie The Deadly Mantis.

 

 

Creepy Crawlies Countdown - Day 2

 Dr. Gangrene keeps the 2023 Halloween Countdown going with a look at the 1993 creepy crawly flick, TICKS.

 

 

CREEPY CRAWLIES - 2023 Halloween Countdown - Day 1

 Dr. Gangrene kicks off the 2023 Halloween countdown! This year's theme is Creepy Crawlies, movies featuring critters that creep, and crawl, and slither and slime. Nature attacks in the lab all October - tune in every day for the Halloween Countdown. Day 1 takes a look at the 1988 flick SLUGS.

 

The She Beast

 This week we're getting witchy in the Cinetarium with Barbara Steele and The She Beast.

Click Image to watch!

Count Dracula and his Vampire Bride

You're just in time for your weekly horror checkup - and tonight's recommended horror therapy is Count Dracula and his Vampire Bride, aka The Satanic Rites of Dracula. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing go at it again as adversaries, as Van Helsing again tries to stop the evil Count Dracula and his plot to destroy mankind.

The Hitchhiker

 This week's film is the 1953 film noir The Hitchhiker, directed by Ida Lupino.

The Return of Amicus Studios!

This week some great news was announced - the return of Amicus Studios! 

Independent producer/director Lawrie Brewster officially made this announcement this week. Best of all, it is being done in cooperation with the Milton Subotsky estate. Subotsky was one-half of the legendary Amicus studio, which he formed with his partner Max Rosenberg. They made a number of mostly horror films in the 60s and 70s, specializing in portmanteau (or anthology) films, each usually containing four or five separate stories tied together with a linking storyline running throughout the film. 

I'm a HUGE Amicus fan, so this was music to my ears. In fact, anthology films are my favorite sub-genre, and several of Amicus' films are among my favorite of all-time. Here's some proof, a couple of photos of the posters in my house...

Those are all originals, and just a few of the ones I own. I even have a poster of a Subotsky film made after Amicus disbanded - The Monster Club. This is an extremely difficult poster to find, the only one I was able to locate was a Spanish poster...

So, again, I'm a fan of these films. So I was very excited to hear the good news. Lawrie had teased he wanted to make a studio that channeled Amicus, and that's why I started following him on Twitter originally. The fact they're making it official and resurrecting Amicus officially is even better!

Here's the press release below. Check it out, and give them a follow over on Twitter, and keep an eye out for more official news upcoming!

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Amicus Productions Rises from the Grave

After decades in the shadows, the legendary Amicus Productions is set for a grand revival thanks to the team at Hex Studios. Their upcoming film, 'In the Grip of Terror', seeks to honor the classic studio's legacy while forging a new chapter in British horror.

Drawing inspiration from iconic films like 'Dr. Terror's House of Horrors' (1965), 'Tales from the Crypt' (1972), and 'Asylum' (1972), the new portmanteau feature will spotlight four tales rooted in the works of revered authors such as H.P. Lovecraft, Ambrose Bierce, and E.F Benson. With a central theme of medical macabre, the film promises to be a chilling experience. While the full cast list is under wraps, it will feature UK horror stalwarts like Laurence R. Harvey (Human Centipede II) and emerging stars Megan Tremethick (Ghost Crew) Jonathan Hansler (The Devil's Machine) and Michael Daviot (Revenge of Innsmouth).

Guiding the ambitious resurrection is the new president of Amicus Productions, Lawrie Brewster, known for 'The Unkindness of Ravens' (2016), 'The Devil's Machine' (2019), and 'Ghost Crew' (2022). Alongside him is his business partner, writer/producer Sarah Daly. Their efforts come after extensive dialogues and collaboration with the family of Amicus founder Milton Subotsky, who have wholeheartedly endorsed this venture.

But the aspirations of Brewster and team stretch beyond a single film. They are calling upon classic horror aficionados to be part of this cinematic rebirth. A crowdfunding campaign, set to kick off in mid-September, will facilitate the initial stages of the project, driving set construction, original practical effects creation, and talent acquisition. Fans can get a head start by registering for updates on the Amicus Pre-Launch Campaign Page.

Brewster expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "Our aim is to re-establish Amicus Productions as a beacon of independent British horror. We're concocting a film that captures the essence and panache that rendered the studio iconic. By emphasizing atmospheric storytelling, tangible effects, and a genuine respect for the genre, our vision is to teleport audiences back to British horror's golden epoch. This venture transcends mere studio revival—it's a renaissance of passion, tribute to a rich legacy, and a testament to indie cinema's prowess."

Brewster also delved into the deep-rooted involvement of the Subotsky family in the project. "The title 'In the Grip of Terror' was generously shared with me by Sergei Subotsky, derived from a list of potential titles his late father, Milton Subotsky, had curated decades ago. It feels profoundly fitting that we're expanding upon the imaginative groundwork set by such a visionary. What's even more fascinating is that three of the four stories we're adapting were suggested by Milton's widow and Sergei's mother, Dr. Fiona Subotsky.'"

For continuous updates, follow Hex Studios on @LawrieBrewster on Twitter or at the "British Horror Studio" Facebook Group. Media inquiries can be directed to Lawrie Brewster, lawriebrewster@hexmedia.tv

This week's movie will have you howling...

 This week's movie is a hairy one, as we take a look at the 1979 film WOLFMAN from director Earl Owensby...

This week we're Howling at the Moon!

This week's movie is the 1972 made-for-TV film MOON OF THE WOLF!

This week's Graveyard ghoolie is I Bury the Living

 This week's mad movie is 1958 Richard Boone film I Bury the Living.

Tonight's movie is to die for!

 We got a real killer... I mean, chiller for you tonight. The 1979 grindhouse slasher... Driller Killer!

5 Minutes to live!

Johnny Cash is a stone cold killer in tonight's mad movie, 5 Minutes to Live!

 

Drive-in Massacre

 This week's mad movie takes us to the drive-in with the 1976 schlocker Drive-in Massacre...

A KILLER movie tonight...

Tonight's MAD movie from the Cinetarium vaults is the 1973 slasher SCREAM BLOODY MURDER - a disturbed boy with serious mama issues goes on a murderous rampage Click below to watch...

This month in the lab

 The killers are coming this month in the Cinetarium. The schedule kicks off with a brand new episode this Saturday with Scream Bloody Murder!

This week's Mad Movie 4-15-23 - The Wasp Woman

 

This week's movie - The Giant Gila Monster

 

Nature Attacks Month!

Spring has sprung and the wildlife is on the attack with this month's films - it's NATURE ATTACKS month here in the lab all April

The Atomic Brain

This week's MONSTERPIECE - The Atomic Brain! 

There's a maniac in the lab!

 A madman is loose in the lab tonight, with the 1934 pre-code shocker MANIAC. Click below to watch...

Going MAD in the lab this week!

This week's movie is one I'm excited to finally be able to show - the 1934 exploitation/mad science film, Maniac! It was made by independent filmmaker Dwain Esper, who throughout the 30s made some of the wilder non-Hollywood pictures. 

This one has some outrageous stuff going on it it, especially wild when you consider it was made in the early 30s. Esper peppered his films with as much craziness as he could get away with, then took his film town to town screening it wherever he could get away with. When sales were a bit lackluster for this one, he re-titled it SEX MANIAC and audiences lined up around the block to see it. There is a mad scientist keeping disembodied organs alive, experimenting at bringing the dead back to life, body snatching, murder, eyeball gouging (and eating), cat mutilation, and more. 

People like to mock this one for being a "bad" movie - and yeah, it is rough around the edges and the acting is over the top - but it has more entertainment value than many modern "quality" pictures. You have to admire Esper, who got into filmmaking because he won a film lab in a settlement and decided to start churning out his own pictures. I always admire the indy spirit of low budget pioneers, even sleeze peddlers like Esper, who showed films like "Narcotic" that showed people actually shooting up, "Sinister Harvest" about marihuana smoking, Marihuana (1936), and "How to undress in front of your husband." He was also involved with the distribution of the re-release of Freaks, taking it town to town and screening it with his own films. Always an exploitation man, he once rented the mummified corpse of an old west outlaw named Elmer McCurdy and displayed it in the lobbies of theaters when screening Narcotic, claiming it was a victim of drugs! 

Check out his magnum opus MANIC this Saturday right here in the Cinetarium website, also streaming on the Necat Roku Channel at 10pm central and airing on Nashville's Comcast CH9 at 9pm central as well!

Rondo Awards!!

Greetings fright fans, it's that time of year again, and I'm honored to announce Dr. Gangrene has been nominated for 2 Rondo awards: 

Best website (for this very website)

Favorite Horror Host!

This is the 21st annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards - it's an annual fan-voted award given to recognize excellence in the horror field in a number of categories. The vote is all done by email - so to vote simply email your choices to taraco@aol.com

To see the entire ballot go to: http://rondoaward.com

And remember to STAY MAD!

This month in the Lab!

 Join the Doc in the Cinetarium for March Madness all month long, a celebration of mad science, monsters and madness!

The Manster

It's a 2-headed terror this week in the lab, as a mad doctor unknowingly injects a reporter with a test serum that turns him into a... MANSTER!

This week's movie - Night Fright

This week's mad movie is another exercise in independent filmmaking, this time in 1968 in Dallas Texas with Night Fright from director James Sullivan. James had worked on low budget indy films before, on several Larry Buchanan films and as an editor on Manos the Hands of Fate (another Texas production). In his directorial debut he makes a good old fashioned creature feature about a government satellite that crash lands and brings back a vicious space monster that begins killing the teens in the small town of Satan's Hollow, TX. It's up to the town sheriff, played by John Agar, to stop it.

There's two main things going for this film: 1, plenty of monster time, and 2. John Agar. You can never go wrong with good ole John Agar. Unfortunately the film suffers from slow pacing, no doubt in an effort to get it to feature length. I still really like this one, and appreciate the independent film gusto to get out and make a monster movie. We need more of those nowadays!

This week's movie - Killers from Space

 This week's mad movie i the Cinetarum - click to watch:

This week's mad movie...

 We have a new episode in the Cinetarium this week, fright fans, the 1954 sci fi schlocker Killers from Space.

Killers from space tells the story of a nuclear scientist named Dr. Douglas Martin (Peter Graves) whose plane goes down while doing nuclear testing. He is presumed dead, but mysteriously reappears one day, at a loss to explain how he survived. As he recovers he unwittingly stumbles onto a plot to destroy mankind by a race of aliens who have set up a secret underground base on Earth. Or so he says - is the Doc telling the truth, or is he hysterical and hallucinating from the crash?

Tune in here to find out Saturday night at 9 central/8 Eastern time, and keep watching the skies!!

This week in the lab we get a visit from the skies...

This week's dose of horror therapy comes via director Ed Wood Jr. with the 1959 Sci-Fi classic "Plan 9 from Outer Space." Alien invaders resurrect the dead to do their bidding - among the corpses brought back are Bela Lugosi, Vampira, and Tor Johnson. 

They're the best part of the film, to be honest, although the Bela scenes make little sense and are shoehorned in just to get a name actor into the film. In fact, it's actually footage of Bela that Wood shot earlier, unrelated to the movie. Bela passed away prior to shooting, so Ed figured he'd find a way to get what footage he had into the movie. It works... sort of. 

The entire film is entertaining in its own weird way, despite the cardboard tombstones, hokey sets, wooden acting and juvenile script. Or perhaps because of it. In hindsight those very attributes are the things that draw people to this film almost 65 years after its release. The amateurish touches make it a charming viewing, and the weird cast is oddly compelling. The film has a sincerity in it that is lacking in films that try to be "so bad they're good." You can't set out to make something like that, it never works. Wood and company set out to make the best film they could, and in the process made an enjoyable, if somewhat silly, picture that's still entertaining audiences to this day. Here's to you, Ed!

February's movies in the Cinetarium...!

Keep watching the skies for an otherworldly lineup of alien invasion films this month on Dr. Gangrene's Cinetarium - every Saturday night at 9pm central (10 eastern) right here and on the Necat Roku Channel.

 

Man in the Attic

Jack the Ripper is running amok in this 1953 noir thriller starring Jack Palance. 

Click below to watch...

Coming up in the lab - Man in the Attic

Made in 1953, this film was based on the book The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes, the same source material for Hitchcock's film of the same name (The Lodger 1927). Our film stars good ole Jack Palance in an early role as Mr. Slade, who rents a room in a boarding house in London during the Jack the Ripper slayings. Slade is a bit of an odd duck, and prefers his privacy - but becomes friendly with the niece of the owners of the boarding house, Lily (Constance Smith). As the killings continue, people begin to grow suspicious of the odd Slade - but does he know more than he's letting on, or just an innocent if somewhat quirky tenet? This is an entertaining mystery/noir, directed by Hugo Fregonese. 

Saturday at 9pm central/10 eastern right here in the Cinetarium and on the Necat Roku channel.

This Week's Movie

 The Devil's Messenger

Top 10 Lon Chaney Jr. Films

 In celebration of the star of this week's film, Lon Chaney Jr, here is a countdown of the Top 10 films of good ole Lon!

This week in the lab - The Devil's Messenger

 Lon Chaney Jr. plays the devil himself in this 1962 horror anthology film. This film is actually made up of three episodes of a rare Swedish TV anthology series called 13 Demon St., tied together with new footage of Lon as good old Scratch sending a recent suicide victim back to Earth on missions for him. It was directed by Herbert Strock (I was a Teenage Frankenstein, How to Make a Monster, The Crawling Hand).

This week's Movie - Vengeance of the Zombies

 

This week's dose of HORROR THERAPY - Vengeance of the Zombies

Greetings fright fans and welcome to the Cinetarium. This week I'm prescribing an exotic dose of horror therapy with the 1972 Spanish spookfest Vengeance of the Zombies, starring the incomparable Paul Naschy.

Naschy is known for his horror mashups, combining various themes and genres mashed into one movie. This film is no exception, and in fact may be one of the better examples of it. Let's see...

This is a Spanish made film set in England concerning an Indian guru and his evil, disfigured brother who practices African voodoo and controls undead supernatural zombies, partly set in a cursed mansion where satanic black masses were held, all told in an Italian giallo style story with a masked killer, scored with a jazzy 70s soundtrack. Oh, and Satan himself shows up in a dream sequence too!

If that isn't enough to entice you into viewing, as a special treat I also have a couple of special guests in the lab too - Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn of the Nashcycast, a podcast devoted to the films of Paul Naschy. They'll be in the lab to discuss Vengeance and all things Naschy in nature.

Tune in Saturday Jan 14th at 9pm central. 

3 ways to watch:

1. On Nashville's NECAT CH9 (Comcast)

2. Simulcast on the Necat Roku channel (Arts tab)

3. drgangrene.com

Watch out for zombies and STAY MAD!!

Horror Express

 This week's movie - Horror Express!

This week's movie: Horror Express

All Aboard!

This week in the Cinetarium we are showing one of the better films we've featured - Horror Express (1972). This one is notable in that it feels very much like a Hammer film, primarily because it stars good friends and Hammer stalwarts Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. It also tosses Telly Savalas into the mix as well, and is a monster movie to boot!

It tells the story of an archaeological expedition that discovers a prehistoric throwback frozen in ice. While transporting it back to civilization aboard the Trans-Siberian Express train to Moscow it awakens, and begins a killing rampage. Cushing and Lee, professional rivals in the field of archeology, must work together to try to survive and stop the creature - which it turns out, is much more than meets the eye. This one's loosely based on the John W. Campbell novella "Who Goes There?" which also inspired The Thing from Another World (1951) and John Carpenter's The Thing (1982).

You can tune in Saturday at 9pmc on Nashville's Necat Arts CH9 (Comcast Nashville)

and the show is simulcast on the Necat Roku channel (Arts Tab)

and right here on drgangrene.com

This week's movie

 The Phantom Carriage - a 1921 silent film that is the perfect New Year's Eve film. A drunkard is killed on New Year's Eve and picked up by the figure of death in a spectral phantom carriage.