In a press release Darabont expressed his excitement about the possibilities with the series. “Noir is a passion of mine, so I feel blessed to delve into a project that speaks in the hardboiled vernacular. John Buntin’s superb book, though non-fiction, is our touchstone and inspiration for the stories we’ll be telling, weaving fiction throughout the facts and facts throughout the fiction. The book provides elements that are irresistible, a big canvas with endless possibilities. The goal is to deliver on the tone that the title LA NOIR promises: a smart, gritty, authentic, period noir drama.”

L.A. NOIR book synopsis (courtesy Broadway Publishing):
“Midcentury Los Angeles. A city sold to the world as “the white spot of America,” a land of sunshine and orange groves, wholesome Midwestern values and Hollywood stars, protected by the world’s most famous police force, the Dragnet-era LAPD. Behind this public image lies a hidden world of “pleasure girls” and crooked cops, ruthless newspaper tycoons, corrupt politicians, and East Coast gangsters on the make. Into this underworld came two men–one L.A.’s most notorious gangster, the other its most famous police chief–each prepared to battle the other for the soul of the city. 

Former street thug turned featherweight boxer Mickey Cohen left the ring for the rackets, first as mobster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel’s enforcer, then as his protégé. A fastidious dresser and unrepentant killer, the diminutive Cohen was Hollywood’s favorite gangster–and L.A.’s preeminent underworld boss. Frank Sinatra, Robert Mitchum, and Sammy Davis Jr. palled around with him; TV journalist Mike Wallace wanted his stories; evangelist Billy Graham sought his soul. 

William H. Parker was the proud son of a pioneering law-enforcement family from the fabled frontier town of Deadwood. As a rookie patrolman in the Roaring Twenties, he discovered that L.A. was ruled by a shadowy “Combination”–a triumvirate of tycoons, politicians, and underworld figures where alliances were shifting, loyalties uncertain, and politics were practiced with shotguns and dynamite. Parker’s life mission became to topple it–and to create a police force that would never answer to elected officials again. These two men, one morally unflinching, the other unflinchingly immoral, would soon come head-to-head in a struggle to control the city”

Regardless of genre, Darabont always delivers, and fans the world over will be anxious to see where he takes this interesting sounding series.

Remember Dr. Shock? If you’re a monsterfan of a considerably younger vintage, or if you grew up outside the Philadelphia area, you may have no recollection at all of television “horror host” Joseph Zawislak (the Doctor’s “real” name). He was one of my local region’s most beloved TV personalities from 1970-79—the period of time also known as the pre-home-video era, also known as the time of great hardships, when you could see your favorite fear films only when they were broadcast on television. Zawislak, a former stage magician, adopted–some may say inhabited–the creepy-but-charming doc’s skin after being inspired by the success of John Zacherle’s popular “Roland” character.   

First broadcast on weeknights and then famously occupying a time slot on kid-friendly Saturday afternoons, the program variously known as “Scream-In,” “Creature Features,” “Mad Theater,” “Horror Theater,” and “Shock Theater” found the friendly Dr. Shock providing funny introductions and comedy bits before and after the commercials, as well as performing kooky magic tricks (and offering the occasional piece of terror-ific trivia) to a captivated audience.

The result was a steady stream of eerily fun enchantments for youngsters (and perhaps even adults) eager to revisit their love of favorite genre classics or feast their eyes on never-before-seen A-, B-, or Z-grade shockers.

I recently revisited memories of Dr. Shock’s all-too-brief tenure on the tube by reading John Skerchock’s marvelous book, The Frightful Dr. Shock. Those of you from other areas around the country may owe your thanks to a different small-screen personality, but you’ll still reap many benefits from reading this slim-but-substantial tome, which offers an all-American success story steeped in nostalgia and touched by melancholy.

The greatest shock came to his admiring fans when Zawislak passed away from a sudden heart attack on September 28, 1979, at the most untimely age of 42. Zacherle provides a warm introductory remembrance for Skerchock’s book, and there’s a fun afterword from actor Daniel Roebuck, who created a charmingly creepy horror host act of his own.

In addition to chronicling Zawislak’s affecting personal story and delivering a wealth of fond-memory-inducing photographs, Skerchock’s book offers many factual tidbits that’ll send you paging through your favorite horror encyclopedias and video catalogs in search of titles that—shudder!—somehow escaped your notice.

As for me, I went directly to the last film Dr. Shock introduced before his sad departure from this world: Curse of the Faceless Man. The 1958 film is a bottom-of-the-barrel treasure, an enjoyably clunky creature feature that comes complete with one scene where star Richard Anderson (later to be admired by tykes when he played Oscar Goldman, boss to The Six Million Dollar Man) enters the frame only to awkwardly bump into the furniture while squeezing his way around another cast member. They had to use the take. That’s just how the makers of no-budget chillers rolled in those days.

Dr. Shock, many thanks again. You can still steer a fan towards some welcome goosebumps and a smile before the show.

George D. Allen produces the MovieFrightFare videos hosted here on FM, as well as writing articles for and producing the video podcasts for Movies Unlimited’s MovieFanFare blog.

Share your favorite Dr. Shock memories and comment on other posts by visiting the Famous Monsters of Filmland Forum!

From Alice to Addams.

Tim Burton, fresh from the success of his 3D adaptation of the beloved tale Alice in Wonderland, is now set to direct a 3D stop-motion film based on The Addams Family.

According to Deadline Hollywood, the animated film will be based on the original cartoon drawings by Charles Addams, and be completely unrelated to current incarnations of the iconic family.

The Addams Family was originally a single panel cartoon strip published in The New Yorker magazine between 1938 and 1988. They have since been adapted into other media, including a 60’s era TV program, two feature films in the 90’s directed by Barry Sonnefeld, and a musical currently playing on Broadway.

This new 3D project  will be another jewel in Burton’s crown of stop-motion animation films. He is famous for writing and producing the cult classic The Nightmare Before Christmas, and co-directing The Corpse Bride. He also produced the last year’s computer animated film 9.

Illumination Entertainment, a family film unit owned by Universal and headed by Chris Meledandri, will produce The Addams Family. Burton will also act as an art director while the studio searches for a writer to develop the story.

Burton is also set to direct a remake of his 1984 short  film Frankenweenie. The film – legend has it - lead to him fired from Walt Disney Pictures, after the studio claimed it was too scary for children. Ironically, Disney will be producing the new Frankenweenie remake, set for release November 2011.

The new 3D Addams Family flick is reportedly scheduled for release sometime in 2012.  Should we expect Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter to be cast as lead characters in the next few months?

UPDATE, 3/20/10:

It may have been too good to be true.

MTV Online has reported that Tim Burton’s representatives have denied that the director will take part in an adaptation of The Addams Family.

“There is no truth to the story. Tim has not lined up any of his upcoming projects.” said an official statement from Burton’s reps.

Famous Monsters reported on the story on Thursday, when Deadline Hollywood announced that Tim Burton had been added to direct The Addams Family, to be produced by Illumination Entertainment.

Despite this, MTV is still optimistic that the Alice in Wonderland and Corpse Bride director will consider the project in the future, saying “There just haven’t been any decisions made yet.”

Burton may not be in the director’s chair, but so far Illumination Entertainment, headed by executive producer Chris Meledandri (Ice Age, Horton Hears a Who)has yet to confirm or deny that they are producing an Addams Family adaptation. The project itself might still have a chance.

Burton is also rumored to be attached to a Disney project involving the Sleeping Beauty villaness, Maleficent.

Stay tuned for more information.