Posts Tagged ‘Mummy’
Posted by phillip in Films, Reviews on September 3rd, 2008
Perhaps best known for writing the novel of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, writer, director, screenwriter, musician, special FX man, prop builder, and actor, Donald Glut continues to feed his passion for making independent movies in his latest project, Blood Scarab. As one of the original “sci-fi boys”, Glut lived and breathed horror and science fiction. His efforts gained him much publicity in the original Famous Monsters of Filmland magazines during its time. Today he returns to us in the new era of Famous Monsters.
Blood Scarab, produced by Dan Golden and directed by Donald Glut, is Frontline Entertainment’s sequel to their Countess Dracula and Mummy’s Kiss series. Starring Monique T. Parent, Blood Scarab tells the tale of Countess Elizabeth Bathory, the infamous vampire who bathed in the blood of virgins to preserve her youth, in her quest for survival in daylight. Her motivation: her husband Count Dracula (accurately hounded as Vlad) has just fallen victim to the sunlight, and she too nearly suffered a similar fate. Committed to serving now Countess Elizabeth, Renfield (of the long line of Transylvania Renfields not to be confused with Marty Renfield of the Long Island Renfields) discovers a method via the “mummy’s kiss” for his mistress to walk in the daylight. Their hunt leads them to steal the mummified body of Hor-Shep-Sut (Hmmm…that’s a mouth full) which will allow the contact to Hathor, the Egyptian blood goddess and sister of Ra, (cousin to Courtney, mother to Bolinda…oh sorry, wrong movie). Consumed by her newfound ability, the Countess attempts to dispose of the loyal Renfield and defies Hathor. The Countess and the Mummy engage in an all out battle of the boobs.
Anyone familiar with the old Hammer films will immediately recognize Blood Scarab. Donald Glut pays homage to these old films by revisiting the legend (created in the last 37 years) of the “Blood Countess” from the 1971 Hammer horror Countess Dracula and in addition, merges her character with another one of our favorite genre monsters, the Mummy with boobs.
Glut takes the film to a new level. You know the level you wanted to see when you were 12, watching Creature Features and the two vampire chicks are almost naked, cat calling the other? Get your mind out of the “Glut-ter”. The bloodshed is plentiful throughout the movie (and so are the boobs) to keep the audience in suspense. Glut spares no details for the virgins in this film…Virgins in Hollywood?!!! We’ll that’s some acting, Aye?
The mummy suit was created by special FX man John Buechler. Although the mummy suit is not up to par with today’s The Mummy franchise, this had boobs…are you getting the picture? Well you can on DVD.
Posted by bob in Films, News on August 10th, 2008
The Dark Knight continues to rule the box office as it takes the number one position for the fourth weekend in a row, the first time any 2008 release has achieved this. Its estimated haul of $26,030,000 pushes its domestic take to $441,541,000, faster than any movie in history.
In its second weekend Universal’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor dropped -60.2%, taking in just $16,113,000. With a total of $70,671,000, it chugs along although there has to be some concern that bad word of mouth, poor reviews and steep drop off may mean the franchise is running out of steam despite director Rob Cohen already talking a fourth film. (more…)
Posted by bob in Films, News on August 6th, 2008
Mummy director Rob Cohen told MTV News about his thoughts on where the franchise can go after the current installment in the series. After all, they managed to move all the major elements from Egypt to China so it shows the themes are global in scope.
“Rick [O’Connell], because he was treated by the pool of eternal life, Rick is now immortal. I’d love to explore how that plays out for him,” Cohen told the network. “Another spoiler, Jonathan [John Hannah] winds up with the artifact in this film and he doesn’t realize, nor do we, what its powers are. In my mind, that artifact still has a lot of prizes in it, the eye of Shangri La, this big diamond.” (more…)
Posted by bob in Comics, Films, News on July 18th, 2008
The MPAA has given J.T. Petty’s The Burrowers an R. All it needs now is a release date from Lionsgate. The western chiller is about a group seeking a missing family and the culprits turn out to be something unearthly.Actor/writer/producer Justin Theroux (Six Feet Under) has been signed to write Iron Man 2. The triple-threat, according to Variety, will work alongside returning director Jon Favreau. The main cast of Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, and Terence Howard will all return in the film, slated for an April 30, 2010 release. (more…)
Posted by bob in Films, News on July 7th, 2008
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor director Rob Cohen spoke with ShockTillYouDrop about the movie, opening August 1.
Bucking current practice, Cohen shot the movie entirely on sets around Asia and noted, “There are no green screen sets in this movie. I went all over China - the deserts of Beijing. The truth is, I had a list of ten commandments when I went in for the first meeting. One of them was that we were going to shoot all location stuff in China. We went to Western China near the Kazakhstan border then down to Hengdian then we wound up at the Shanghai studios where we had a basic standing set of The Bund, then we expanded it for this chase featuring a chariot drawn by four bronze horses.” (more…)
Posted by bob in Films, News on July 1st, 2008
With The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor now a mere month away, Universal Studios has freshened the website (http://www.themummy.com/) with the usual assortment of trailer, video clips, and behind-the-scenes coverage, view, send, and save photos from the set, download icons, wallpapers, a screensaver and the one sheet.
There’s also a contest with the winner receiving a VIP guest package to Universal Orlando or Universal Studios Hollywood.
Posted by bob in Films, News on June 18th, 2008
The third Mummy movie doesn’t open until August 1 but it has already been test screened before post-production has been completed. Ain’t-it-Cool-News posted the first positive comments this morning.
Director Rob Cohen also updated his production blog (http://www.robcohenthemummy.com/2008/06/dubbing-and-scoring.php) and says, “It’s a glorious process finishing a film, seeing it all knit together. I have completed 783 visual effects and have 196 to go. It will be a photo finish but I take a lot of pride and satisfaction in the quality and diversity of the effects. You’ve gotten a taste in the teaser trailer, which brings us to this…
“The full trailer will be attached to the head of Wanted coming out July 27th. But, of course, it will debut here first.”
We also present for your delight, the first international poster for the film.
Posted by bob in Films, News on May 16th, 2008
Lionsgate announced their home video releases for August 5 and among them are:
Belphegor: Phantom of the Louvre
For the first time in the United States, the star studded French film Belphegor: Phantom of the Louvre will be released on DVD from Lionsgate on August 5, 2008, coinciding with the theatrical release of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Based on the hit TV mini-series Belphegor, which drew record ratings in France, this was the first feature film shot inside the world-famous Louvre museum. The stunning special effects of this blockbuster film drew more than 2 million attendees in France alone. Starring Academy Award winner Julie Christie (Darling), César Award winner Sophie Marceau (Ready for Love II), three time César Award winner Michel Serrault (Nelly & Monsieur Arnaud) and César Award nominee Jean-François Balmer (The Threat), Belphegor: Phantom of the Louvre is the thrilling story about a resurrected mummy who begins to terrorize the Louvre museum in Paris. (more…)
Posted by bob in News on April 24th, 2008
In time for the latest Mummy film from Universal Studios, the very first is being re-released on DVD this July 8 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. The 1932 film, starring Boris Karloff and directed by Karl Freund, is part of their Legacy Series. It will be a two-disc set will come with commentary by film historian Paul M. Jenson and a second track featuring Rick Baker, Scott Essman, Bob Burns, Steve Haberman and Brent Armstrong. Featurettes include Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed, He Who Made Monsters: Life and Legacy of Jack Pierce, Unraveling the Legacy of The Mummy and Universal Horror. Plus there will be Production stills, trailers and a poster gallery.
Posted by bob in News on April 18th, 2008
Universal Home Entertainment announced yesterday their first slate of Blu-ray DVD releases. They will arrive the same day as the standard DVDs so no one misses out. The fun begins in August when the abbreviated Season Two set for Heroes arrives n August 26. Other titles announced are George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead, Neil Marshall’s Doomsday, Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy II: The Golden Army and the The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
Speaking of the undead, The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, and The Scorpion King will arrive on July 22 in Blu-Ray. John Carpenter’s will be released too, but not for Region 1 players…yet.
