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

An Interview with EC Comics' Al Feldstein

Hi Al. Thanks for taking the time to do this interview.
No problem.

The old EC headquarters have been turned into condos. Guess the neighborhood has changed quite a bit since the days you were running EC from that building. I heard Patrissy’s, the Italian restaurant Bill Gaines loved so much, has closed as well. Did you guys used to walk there from work?

Patrissy's was on Spring Street, half a block East of Lafeyette Street, which is one block south of Spring Street, corner of Lafayette Street...which is where the E.C. building stood. So we just had to walk a short block and a half to reach it.

I've read you guys used to do some scripting of comics over lunch, is that true?

As best as I can recall, we did very little "scripting" at Patrissy's. We would take off for lunch at Patrissy's after we had nailed down the plot for the day's required script.  After lunch, I would write it. Lunch at Patrissy's was usually the place for small talk; like whether we should recognize Red China. Just kidding.

To me the best part about the old EC books are the Ghoulunatics. Tell me about creating those characters if you would.

I had been writing and drawing western, crime and romance stories for E.C. and Bill...while continuously bugging him that all he was doing as a Publisher was imitating whatever sold... and imploring him to be an "Innovator" instead of an imitator.

Finally he gave in and asked me what I thought would be an innovation in comics...and I suggested "Horror"...because I remembered as a kid, listening to "The Witches Tale" and "Lights Out" and "The Inner Sanctum" on radio...and loved being scared out of my wits.

So he agreed to try what I had in mind as an experiment in his "Crime Patrol" and "War Against Crime" titles. Recalling that an integral part of those radio shows were their Hosts...I created "The Crypt Keeper" as the host of "The Crypt of Terror" for Crime Patrol and "The Vaultkeeper" as the host of "The Vault of Horror" for "War Against Crime."

The sales checks showed a marked improvement in those two titles when their horror stories appeared...so Bill agreed to change their titles and give The Cryptkeeper and The Vaultkeeper their own books.

Later on, I introduced "The Old Witch" as hostess of "The Witch's Cauldron" in "Tales From The Crypt"... and, based on the success of the other two "Horror" titles, Bill decided to drop another poorly-selling title and give the old gal her own book, "The Haunt of Fear."

Bill lived to see the worldwide success of Tales from the Crypt, with the 1971 and 1973 Amicus films (Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror) and again with the 1989 HBO series. I am sure both he and you must have felt truly vindicated after the way you were attacked by Fredrick Wertham and his Congressional Cronies.

We both were delighted with the recognition of our work given us with the Amicus films, except that I was horrified with the depiction of their hosts.

However, when the HBO version of "Tales From The Crypt" was introduced, Bill's and my relationship has been severely strained because I had retired from MAD. And so he did not allow...or give me credit for the creation of the title, the host...and for the adaptation of all of my stories.  
   

Were you happy with HBO’s interpretation of the Crypt Keeper?

Not at first. I found the cackling, lisping, obnoxious puppet a bit irritating...and not exactly what I had in mind. But he grew on me.

You were born on October 24th. Think having a birth date so close to Halloween had anything to do with your affinity to horror? 

It never occurred to me. I think the radio shows were far more influential.

Tell me more about what you’re up to nowadays. I see from your website that you’ve been spending a good deal of time painting.

That's what I do now...Western, Wildlife, Landscape and Sci-Fi/Fantasy paintings. The Sci-Fi Fantasy paintings are mostly commissions for "Cover-Revisited" versions of my old E. C. covers.

Are you doing any writing nowadays, or pretty much strictly art?
When I retired from MAD, I made a choice between "writing" and "fine art" and my love for art won.


 
I know you do some convention appearances as well. Do you enjoy going to shows and meeting fans?

I love it. It is a great ego-stroking experience...and I am amazed at how the popularity of the E.C. products of the '50's has continued to survive over the decades...with a new audience developing with each generation. I am grateful to Russ Cochran and his "collections" and "re-prints" for that.

 

What upcoming convention appearances will you be making?

I will be at the Motor City ComiCon in Novi, Michigan this May.


Thanks again for spending some time with me and I look forward to meeting you at a show in the future.

Tales from the Crypt/Vault of Horror

With Christmas just around the corner (13 days and counting) I thought I'd mention one of the dvds I'm most looking forward to in my stocking. Fox/MGM's Midnite Movie double Feature, TALES FROM THE CRYPT and VAULT OF HORROR


TALES FROM THE CRYPT was made in 1972 and is on my list of favorite horror movies. I've always said it's one of the movies I'd most like to host. It is the first big screen adaptation of the EC comic Tales from the Crypt, of which I'm a huge fan, and is a real treat to watch. It's an anthology film, from Amicus studios, and features five stories plus a wrap-around segment. All of the stories are excellent, in particular the Peter Cushing story, "Poetic Justice", and the final story, "Blind alleys", staring Nigel Patrick, in which a mistreated group of elderly blind patients exact revenge on their cruel headmaster in true EC fashion.

VAULT OF HORROR is the follow-up to TALES FROM THE CRYPT, made a year later. It is still fun, once again following in the anthology format, but not nearly as strong of a film as it's predecessor. The best story is "Midnight Mess", which is adapted from the "Tales from the Crypt" comic story in issue #35 (written by Al Feldstein and art by Joe Orlando). It concerns a brother tracking down his sister to a small town. He kills her for her inheritance money, and afterwards stops in a quiet restaurant for a late night snack. The main course, however, isn't exactly what he expected…

This story in particular is one of the more disappointing things about this dvd, from reviews I've read. Fox included the edited version of this film, where they use a freeze frame of the gore moment in the climax of this story. I understand this is the "PG" edited version, not the uncut original. Disappointing. The print of "Tales from the Crypt, however, is supposed to be pristine. This alone makes it a good buy for me, as I only have "Tales" on VHS currently - hopefully a complete version of "Vault' will be released on dvd at some point in the near future.

Regardless of the edited print used for VAULT OF HORROR, I still look forward to adding this one to my collection. One neat bit of trivia to look for when you watch these - there was a novelized version of TALES FROM THE CRYPT written, and as an in-joke it appears in VAULT OF HORROR. You can see a character (Micheal Craig) read it in the 4th story, "Bargain in Death."