George Romero 1940 - 2017 The Originator of the Modern Zombie Film

Yesterday afternoon I flipped over to my Facebook app on my phone and discovered the saddest news that I was totally not expecting. George A. Romero had passed away. A lot of times when a celebrity, musician, actor etc. passes away I usually greet it with a "aw man that sucks". But when I saw the news of Romero passing I shed a couple of tears for the man, his accomplishments, what he meant to film making and how his films affected me at a young age when I first heard of Night of the Living Dead (1968).

I first discovered Romero's first film when I was in the 3rd grade around 1979. I was browsing book titles at the school book fair and had the novelization of Star Wars in my hand. I was about to plop down my $3 for the book when an issue of Weird Tales caught my eye. Now I may be a little fuzzy but I'm pretty sure it was Weird Tales. I flipped through the magazine and quickly came across a still shot that made me stop a moment. What were these people doing shambling across the porch of an old house? They looked like they were trying to get into the house. I remember reading the caption on the black and white still and seeing the word "zombie" and the title "Night of the Living Dead". I decided that Star Wars would be taking a back seat to this little magazine that I had discovered, thus cementing my love for Horror and not Science Fiction. I love both by the way but Horror caught my heart first.

It would be years before I ever laid eyes to Romero's debut film but the image to the left would stay burned into my brain forever. Not long after this discovery I would hear another movie title that sent shivers down my spine. "Dawn of the Dead" (1978) was playing at the local art house theater. The Naro Theater was the only place the film was being screened and my older brother's best friend came over to tell us all the gory details while we were playing basketball. Zombies in a mall! Zombies attacking a motorcycle gang! Zombies tearing into an elevator shaft and eating the people inside! At that moment I didn't realize the movie was tied into Night of the Living Dead but something told me it was.

Around 1982/83 my family bought our first VCR. I was so excited to finally get to see all the cool movies that were available to rent from the local video store. I remember finding the store copy of Night of the Living Dead and rented it forthwith. What can I really say about NOTLD? The first 10 minutes are riveting! Immediately Romero sets the tone for all the doom that is about to come the audience's way. I was pretty well sucked into the film and it felt a little odd to me that a black and white movie could give me the creeps but it did. This wasn't like the Frankenstein and Dracula films I had seen on T.V. No, this was something totally on a plane by itself. I was completely hooked and of course completely blown away by the ending. I remember feeling somewhat melancholy afterwards.

I then rented Dawn of the Dead, which took a few tries since it was not rated and the lady at the store wasn't keen on me renting it. I was finally able to snag a copy home when one of the teenagers was manning the front desk and thought it would be cool to let a kid rent a zombie flick. Again Romero obliterates your brain within the first 10 minutes. The world has gone to hell and Romero has set the tone for the rest of the entire film.

Dawn was bloodier and a little more action packed than Night of the Living Dead. It certainly grabbed me by the collar and refused to let go. However this film was the film that opened my eyes to how Romero constructed his films and how important characters were to the story telling. This was the film that scared me with cannibalistic walking dead corpses but also frightened me with how scary the living actually are in a time of crises and uncertainty. It also introduced me to proficient and excellent make up effects of Tom Savini. This movie was two fold for me. It opened me up to how films are made and also started my interest in make up effects. Both Romero and Savini became gods in my cinematic universe. They also became quite the tandem in many of Romero's future cinematic endeavors. I was totally sold on all things Romero and had to see more of what this filmmaker had to offer.

I don't remember what store I found it in but Document of the Dead (1985) completely blew me away when I rented it around the same time that Day of the Dead (1985) had been released to home video. This documentary is the best documentary on Romero in my opinion. It follows him around the shooting of Dawn and of Day of the Dead. It also offers a look into Romero's early work on television commercials and some of his other films that at the time I wasn't familiar with. I had seen The Crazies (1971) before seeing this documentary but hadn't heard of Season of the Witch (1973) or Martin (1977). Of course now I was prompted to hunt them down and hunt them down I did.  This documentary really showed me who George was. Who would have thought this scarf wearing, chain smoking, jovial man was responsible for so much zombie mayhem I had seen on my TV screen? Seeing this side of the man made me like him even more.

Over the years more Romero movies would hit the theater screens. Monkey Shines (1988), Two Evil Eyes (1990) and The Dark Half (1993). Things got quiet through the rest of the 90's though. Romero was slated to direct a film adaptation of the hit video game Resident Evil but that fizzled out and it went on to someone else. Romero returned to the big screen with Bruiser (2000) but the film didn't receive a big release but found it's place on home video and remains a very interesting and odd film even by Romero standards. Finally in 2005 Land of the Dead hit the screens and was a nice return to zombie form for Romero. More zombie films would come afterwards but with limited theatrical run and mostly straight to DVD, Diary of the Dead (2008) and Survival of the Dead (2010). Each film had Romero's stamp on it. Romero's use of social commentary and his ability to pit human against human as the main threat is unmatched.

I've tried not to present a play by play on each Romero film and believe me it's a hard task because all his films have had some kind of effect on me. Somehow I left out Creepshow (1982)! That is one of Romero's greatest non zombie films. But the bottom line is this; George Romero was an innovative film maker. A man who loved film and loved being part of every aspect of film making. His films have had an impact on me in some way or another. I will always thank him for that. While I never ventured farther than my own video camera, I enjoyed putting little fun short horror films together with my friends as a teenager. Every time I looked through the lens I envisioned myself as being Romero. I would try and remember some of the things Romero would do and try to emulate that somewhat. When I think about it, I'm pretty sure I failed at it. HA HA! But the influence was there.

With that I just want to say thank you George. May you rest in peace.

Turn down the lights and open the curtain it's showtime!

Happy Summertime ghoulies! I wanted to check in and just let you know that I have been busy working on new titles for Celluloid Coffin Video and well just general life. I thought I would take a moment and just reflect and wax nostalgic for awhile about the old days of theater.

My very first movie theater experience came when I was about 5 years old. This would have been around 1976. A year before Star Wars would change my entire worldview, along with millions of others. My father took me to the local shopping plaza which had a small theater. It was originally a Jerry Lewis chain theater but it was built right at the end of that failed business venture and quickly became the Plaza Theater. I was there to see a re release of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958). I had been enthralled with giant monsters since seeing the original King Kong (1933) on television. I was fascinated with the special effects of Willis O'brien and my dad had even bought me the book "The Making of King Kong". I remember asking my dad which doors the monsters would come out of. I pointed to the EXIT doors at the front of the theater by the screen and he explained how this was all going to work.

When that opening credit sequence started accompanied by the incredible score by Bernard Herrmann, I was completely hooked! When the cyclops made his first appearance I was double hooked! I was officially a movie junkie at this point. I wanted to go back to the theater every weekend to see more monsters and more adventure. Alas that didn't quite happen but what did happen was my love affair with the silver screen and movie monsters. Ray Harryhausen's effects work for 7th Voyage were the makings of many a dreamscape for me. The Cyclops, the dragon, the two headed bird and that skeleton! That skeleton gave me nightmares actually and still remains my favorite part of the film.

It would be long until I was able to go to the theater again and see another monster film but this time at a different local theater. There was a very old theater in the downtown area of my sleepy little town called the Magic Lantern. It was originally called The Chadwick and sat at Main Street with it's bijou sign lit up for everyone to see. By the time the 70's had rolled around the theater had become more of grindhouse. It was notorious for screening the plethora of martial arts films and late night porn films. However they did screen some matinee material for the young ones and that would be when I got my first big screen experience with everyone's favorite Japanese radioactive mutant dinosaur Godzilla!

My absolute favorite Godzilla film is this one. Probably because I had experienced it on the big screen. It really has everything you could ask for. Three giant monsters, one robot that could fly and change its size, a kid close to my age at the time who was friends with Godzilla and the robot Jet Jaguar! Before the movie started the theater screened a cartoon. I believe the character was called "Blue Racer" but I could be wrong. I just referred to the insect main character as the "Japanese Beetle". Why? I have no idea, I was like 6 or 7 at this point. The Magic Lantern, as I said earlier, was an old theater. I believe it was originally constructed in the 1920's. It was the epitome of a classic movie theater. There was the traditional outside box office. When you entered through the doors you were treated to the smell of fresh popped popcorn. The carpet was a deep red as well as the velvet ropes that guided you past the concession stand and into the large auditorium. There was a stage, balcony and box seats as well. It was everything a classic movie theater should be. I saw two more films in this theater before it died. Those films were Inframan (1975) and Jaws 2 (1978). The last movie to be screened at the Magic Lantern was Friday the 13th part 3 (1982). I can't image the 3D effects being very good. For some reason I just think the owners just didn't care anymore. My theory is solidified by the fact that during the time the film screened the theater met it's demise. Sadly the theater burned down. A victim of arson and personal desperation.

With the demise of the Magic Lantern, the Plaza became my main go to theater. It was nowhere near as glorious as the Magic Lantern but it certainly provided a great service to local movie goers. I saw plenty of great and not so great movies there. From Superman II to E.T. to Friday the 13th Part 6 to Eddie Murphy Raw and beyond! It was a fun little theater but it had a flaw. It was located in a flood zone! Every once and awhile if there was a really, really bad storm the very front of the theater would take on water. This created a permanent stickiness to the floor in the first three rows from the screen.

Never the less this did not deter me and my friends from taking in a movie. Apparently it didn't deter many of my fellow movie goers either because there was always a line that would wind all the way down past several store fronts usually ending at the old Montgomery Wards. The line for Friday the 13th Part 6 & 7 were like this. People enjoyed these flicks and were happy to sit in a theater past it's prime and in need of a complete restoration. The Plaza would close and re open a few times before finally saying its final goodbye in the mid 1990's. The last movie to screen there was Major Payne (1995). A very unfitting end to a decades old movie house that provided so many movie memories for myself and many of my friends.

With the death of the two local theaters my screen time was now going to be had at the many surrounding sliver screens in my neck of the woods. Believe me there were plenty in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. Most of the ones that I frequented were at indoor shopping malls or had their own buildings located near a large shopping area. There were several older theaters as well but sadly I never got to see anything at many of these older locations before they closed.

 Thankfully there is still one classic theater still in operation. The Naro Theater in the downtown Ghent section of Norfolk, Va.

The Naro is more of an art house theater with it's clientele attending more for independent films and documentaries. They do show the occasional big picture but these are normally films that are nominated for Academy Awards. Over the past few years though they have expanded into more genre films.

I have had the pleasure of seeing screenings of Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954 - in 3D), The Time Machine (1960), Jason and the Argonauts (1963), The Horror of Dracula (1958), Halloween (1978), Dawn of the Dead (1978) and several others. The Naro is the classic theater up and down. It's not as luxurious as I remember the Magic Lantern being but it certainly is classic with it's red carpeting, seating and curtains. It also has a stage which used quite regularly even today.

I have even had the pleasure of performing at the theater on several occasions. The Naro is also home to the bi weekly screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) complete with a local cast. Theater is certainly not dead and neither is the pocket book associated with the Naro. It recently underwent a digital upgrade (as many other theaters had to) and was able to pay for in part of theater goer contributions. This theater has stood the test of time and looks to continue to be a permanent fixture for many years to come.

So there's my little trip down memory lane ghoulies! Theater will always be a part of my life and these memories will last forever. I am just thankful to be able to have been a part of the lives of these classic theaters. Maybe one day this style will come back and instead of a 30 screen mega plex there will be more single screen classic theaters on every street corner on every Main street in every little sleepy town.

The Celluloid Coffin 2017

Greetings ghoulies! I know, I know....I've been away for quite awhile. I really need to get back on some kind of regular monthly basis or something. My apologies to the handful of people who actually follow this blog. With that said there are some new titles awaiting you inside the coffin!

In the fall of 2016 I was excited to finally be able to offer this deluxe 2 disc set of one of the most classic werewolf films of the 1950's. I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1957) is one of the most iconic 50's horror films. Michael Landon stars in his first big screen role as the troubled teen with some extreme anger issues that are amplified by a doctor with an alternative agenda. This 2 disc set includes a composite print of the feature film. It's a  nice widescreen presentation but the ending credits were damaged so I dug in the crypt and found a nice 4:3 print and edited in the end credit sequence. It's certainly not a revelation but it does provide a nice complete feature. Also included is the seldom seen Halloween episode of Landon's hit T.V. series from the 1980's "Highway to Heaven". The episode is titled "I Was A Middle Aged Werewolf" and also co stars Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes). As an added bonus you also get a set of 5 postcard size reproduction lobby cards! This is the biggest project I have had the pleasure of working on and it was a team effort. I have to thank Monsterkid Josh for helping out with the lobby card repros. He did a bang up job cleaning them up and making them look nice!

 You can never have too much Bela Lugosi in your life so the Celluloid Coffin wants to give you more. Bela stars in this 1933 old dark house thriller and he doesn't disappoint. He portrays a creepy butler who also happens to be a mystic. The main problem is that he needs more screen time in this one but it's still a fun early film with Lugosi at his peak. It also stars Wallace Ford (The Mummy's Hand, The Mummy's Tomb) who as always delivers a great performance.

Also available is the rarely seen 1983 Italian Giallo, The House of the Yellow Carpet starring Vittorio Mezzogornio, Beatrice Romand and Erland Josephson. A tense piece of Italian film making from director Carlo Lizzani. Almost all of the film takes place inside one location which adds to the tense atmosphere you expect from this type of genre film. It's not a gory ultra violent thriller like the offerings of Dario Argento but it's still a great thriller that captures your attention and never lets go!

These titles are always available at the Ebay and Etsy stores! So feel free to drop by and take a gander at what lies rotting in the Coffin!

Coffindan's Ebay Store

The Celluloid Coffin Etsy Shop 

There will be plenty more coming from the Celluloid Coffin in 2017. Hopefully another Giallo film that has rarely been seen in the U.S. I have my fingers crossed on this one. I'm also looking forward to possibly getting some film titles from Desert Island Films who have an extensive library of films that might get a chance to fly under the Celluloid Coffin moniker. I will also try and keep active here at the old coffin and that means more of my thoughts and some reviews of some great films! Stay scary folks!

They're coming! The monsters are coming!

Every year the monsters make their appearance at the Chesapeake Central Library in Chesapeake Virginia. For the 13th time, they will invade once again!


On October 1st, this Saturday as I write this entry, Monster Fest 13 will be happening. Every first weekend of October I look forward to visiting and sometimes hosting a discussion panel at this one day free convention.

Rob Floyd and friend.

The convention is organized by Rob and Phyllis Floyd, two great folks who have become good friends of mine. I have been attending the fest and the bi monthly series Fantasmo Cult Cinema Explosion, for the past seven or so years. Each year the fest gets bigger and better.

One of my favorite things about the fest is the appearances of some of the local t.v. horror hosts from years past. Dr. Madblood, who still has a yearly Halloween special, is always on hand along with a cast member or two from the show. Rick Clark aka The Keeper from Chamber Theater will also be on hand this year as well. These two figures were a staple in my horror t.v. diet growing up. It's always a joy to talk with them as well because they are such nice people.

Dr. Madblood

The fest also features a ton of vendors as well as great panel discussions of genre films and subjects. There is also live music for those who need to get their spooky funk on. For past several years The Cemetery Boys have been playing all day during the fest. There is just so much fun to be had and if you are in surrounding area of Chesapeake Virginia or even if you are a couple of hours away it is worth your while to come check it out.


Don't forget that after the fest at 7pm there will be the Monster Fest episode of Fantasmo Cult Cinema Explosion. This year's double feature will include the classic Frankenstein (1931) and the classic slasher Friday the 13th Part 3 in 3D! Two great films that represent the core of what the fest is about (the celebration of monsters and horror) but also a nice symbol of this being the "13th" year.

A few frightful things you will find at the Celluloid Coffin table.

There's just way too much going on for me to really type up in this entry so I am going to leave some links for you clickity click on. If you come out be sure to drop by the Celluloid Coffin table and say hi to me, Coffindan.

Stay cool ghouls!

Monster Fest the 13th

The Cemetery Boys

Dr. Madblood

Fantasmo Cult Cinema Explosion

Bloke's Terrible Tomb of Terror

It's almost upon us!

Greetings ghoulies! It's getting very close to that oh so wonderful time of the year! Yes, you know what I'm talking about, HALLOWEEN!

It also means that there is a lot going on at the Celluloid Coffin as well. There are several new releases that are ready for your trick or treat pail and the Celluloid Coffin will be making an appearance at this years Monster Fest in Chesapeake, Virginia! I've been attending the fest for several years now. I've also been part of a couple of discussion panels there as well. One on the magnificent artwork of the old VHS days and another on the history of zombie films. This will be the first time I have been a vendor though. I am extremely excited! Check out the link to Monster Fest 13 won't you? If you are in the Chesapeake area or would just like to spread the word wherever you are, check out the flyer, download print and distribute to all your favorite ghouls and haunts!

Monster Fest is a one day convention that is in, well as you can guess by the number, in its 13th glorious year. Each year the fest has gotten a little bigger and has always been a great time. Once the convention ends the fun times aren't over because there is a double feature that night! This year they are screening Frankenstein (1931) and Friday the 13th Part 3.....wait for it......in 3D! You can't beat that with a stick....or body part! So come on down if you are in the area or if you'd like to make the trek to beautiful Chesapeake, Virginia.

In other news there are two new Celluloid Coffin Video releases ready for all you spooks and goblins to add to your cauldron in preparation for the greatest month of the year!

The Coffin continues it's double feature releases with a double header of shock! Francis Ford Coppola's directorial debut, "Dementia 13(1963)" and the always spooky "I Bury The Living (1958)". 

I have to be honest, I hadn't seen Dementia 13 in quite some time when I decided to pair these two together and I was taken about by how great this film is. It's stark black and white photography pairs incredibly well with the (for its day) ultra violent content. It's low budget doesn't shine through like so many productions that came out of the Roger Corman studios in the 50's and early 60's. A real shocker and a true gem!

I Bury The Living has always been a spooky good time. Richard Boone plays the part of a business man who has to take on the responsibility of running a cemetery for the firm he works for. When he accidentally switches pins in the cemetery map, marking living people for dead......well they end up dead! Soon he is caught in a swirling pool of madness. Well filmed and acted. It's directed by Albert Band whose name you probably don't recognize. He is the father of Charles Band who gave us Media Home Entertainment, Wizard Video, and Full Moon Entertainment! Both prints for these films look really nice to be hanging around in the public domain.

Last year I put together and fun little DVD entitled Coffindan's Haunted Halloween Hootenanny. A fun tribute to the old Super 8mm digests of yesteryear. Well I decided to go back to the grave for some more fun!

Son of Halloween Hootenanny is another trip down Super 8 memory lane. Chock full of classic trailers and spooky fun cartoons plus four great "features" done up in that classic digest format. Prepare yourselves for "The Giant Gila Monster", "The Ape Man", "I Was A Teenage Werewolf" and "Plan 9 From Outer Space".

All are great fun little films shrunk down to the 10 - 15 minute run time that was the norm for film companies such as Castle Films and Black Hawk Films. A fun time for all and makes a great party DVD to have playing in the background at your next cemetery bash! Both Hootenanny presentations are also a great way to introduce the classic horrors to the little budding monster kids running around your lab too! Son of Halloween Hootenanny also features some great spooky music from Norfolk, Virginia's Cemetery Boys. The Boys created some of the greatest spook rock this side of of the old abandoned sanitarium. Check out the opening credit sequence of Son of Halloween Hootenanny and listen for  yourselves!

These two new titles plus more are available at the Celluloid Coffin Etsy Store as well as the Ebay Coffin so drop on by and check us out! And if you like what you hear from the Cemetery Boys drop by their Bandcamp Mortuary for some more spooky rock!

Stay cool ghouls!!

Netflix gets Stranger!

So I was scrolling through my Facebook feed the other morning and came across two posts about a new Netflix series called "Stranger Things". The comments really piqued my interest and so as I sipped my first cup of coffee, I checked out the first episode.

Without spilling any beans about specifics of the story of Stranger Things, I am going to try and sum it up as best I can. A 12 year old boy goes missing while on his way home from his friends house one night. He wasn't taken by someone but rather some thing. As the story begins to unfold around the boys disappearance things get strange.....yeah I did that, glad you noticed. Something seems to have escaped from a near by testing facility. Something scary and really weird. A young girl has also escaped from the same facility and she is wee bit strange as well. The local sheriff is called in to investigate the disappearance of the boy and begins to discover more than he bargained for. The boys mother also begins to experience some paranormal happenings in the house which leads her to believe her son is somewhere and able to communicate with her. Pretty soon the boys friends and family all become involved together in a race to find their friend and save their little town from something very, very evil.

Twenty minutes into the first episode I was totally SOLD! The story takes place in 1983. In that time frame I was 12 years old. Many of the main protagonists in this show are 12 years old. So I TOTALLY identify with their characters. Add to that fact, there are so many nods to my childhood in this show. A Jaws and Evil Dead poster are spotted on the walls of bedrooms. Atari 2600 games pop up on top of a t.v. console. The game of Dungeons & Dragons is on display at the beginning of the first episode and is actually referenced several times throughout the story line. Throw in late 70's automobiles, rotary phones, tube socks, The Clash and everything else that made the early 80's great and I am in a time warp that quite frankly, I don't wanna come out of. Oh and the story line is incredible!

The writing is good, the acting is good, the special effects are good. I honestly cannot find anything wrong with this show. Some have said it has moments that are too "The Goonies" and while I have never seen that movie (WHAAAAT!? YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN THE GOONIES!?), I think I understand where they are coming from. I doesn't bother me though. I like the interaction of the kids in this show. I guess because it just really takes me back to such a simple time. I think my time was more simple than these kids though. I didn't have any child abducting creatures running around in the woods behind my house. Although I think one time a friend and I were chased by a hobo....at least we think it was a hobo. We didn't look back, we just ran our asses back to my house.

Speaking of acting, I just want to give a nod to Winona Ryder. Her acting as the distraught mother who believes her child is communicating to her from the "other side" is top notch. It's nice to see her on the small screen too. She is scared to death but yet is able to portray a sense of strength that she didn't know she had. David Harbour (Black Mass, Quantum of Solace) stars as the hard nosed sheriff that is battling his own personal demons but is able to screw his head on straight enough to battle the evil head on.

And nay nay, Ryder is not the only 80's star to make an appearance in this show. Matthew Modine (The Dark Knight Rises, Full Metal Jacket) is the sinister head of the testing facility out to capture the young girl who has escaped and is a threat to his entire operation. There....a little tidbit of the story line that doesn't really give too much away.

I'm just gonna say that as I write this I have only one episode left to watch. There are only 8 total so it's not too bad of a binge watch if you have a day to kill. I've purposely refrained from binging and have watched 2 episodes back to back max. It's hard not to click on the "Play Next Episode" button believe me!

So if you are a child of the 70/80's who loves their horror then this show is definitely for you. I've already heard that Netflix is signed on to do another season which sounds good to me even if I have no idea how this season ends. The creators of the show, The Duffer Brothers (Hidden, We All Fall Down) have really knocked it out of the park. Their work on this makes me want to check out some of their other material since I had never heard of them before. This is only the second original Netflix series I've watched. The other being Daredevil which I think is a fantastic series. My wife is hooked on Orange is the New Black so I think Netflix has been firing all on cylinders with their programming. Stranger Things definitely gives the big network a run for their money!

So until next time kids, Netflix and SCREAM!

The Queen is screaming at Etsy!

Greetings! Another double feature release is now available from the ole Coffin! This double feature includes two of Barbara Steele's classic Italian gothic horror films. The Ghost (1963) and Nightmare Castle (1965).

Steele, as usual, is outstanding in both of these films. The Ghost is a continuation of the Dr. Hichcock theme that starred Steele in the 1962 film "The Horrible Dr. Hichcock" that was also directed by Riccardo Freda. A slow burn type of horror film but well acted and filmed. This was one of Steele's films that I hadn't discovered until about five years ago. Nightmare Castle is one of Steele's most well known films probably taking second fiddle to Black Sunday (1960). Directed by Mario Caiano who claims the film was a tribute to Gothic cinema and to Steele herself. Steele knocks it out of the park with her dual performance. Story wise it fits right in with the Hichcock themes which makes this a very nice double feature. It also stars the lovely Helga Line (Horror Rises From The Tomb).

Celluloid Coffin Video also has a new home on Etsy! We will still list on Ebay but I thought it might be a good idea to expand so we will see how things go. I mean come on you can get your craft on and pick up some great horror, sci-fi and euro spy flicks! Right now only domestic shipping is available through the Etsy store but that is only temporary. For our international customers you can continue to pick up titles through Ebay. So come on by and check us out!

Celluloid Coffin Video at Etsy

Celluloid Coffin Video at Ebay

The next Halloween Hootenanny disc is in the editing stages. I've got some great ideas for what I hope to be another great fun release that will include some giant monsters, angst ridden werewolves, outer space invasions gone awry and hopefully Vincent Price! Also another double feature release will happen soon. I've got an idea that's been kicking around the coffin that involves fangs, the living dead and everyone's favorite Spanish lycanthrope, Paul Naschy! So stay tuned and stay scary!

Slash O Rama Drive-in is here!

Greetings again fellow ghoulsters! I am happy to announce the all new Celluloid Coffin Video trailer compilation entitled "Coffindan's Slash O Rama Drive-In". I finally put the pedal to the metal and finished this little gem before the summer hit. 97 minutes of heart pounding, blood splattering, throat slashing horror! A tribute to one of my favorite sub genres in horror, the slasher film. Along with these great trailers are also plenty of drive-in theater intermission ads. A lot of fun to be had on this little disc and a sure fire hit for your next family get together.....if your family is a bunch of psychopaths....not that there's anything wrong with that!

Also available from the Coffin is "Don't Look In The Basement" / "Messiah of Evil" double feature!

A double dose of shock and sleaze! Both films
were filmed in 1973 and are staples of low budget horror and exploitation. No trailers on this disc just bare bones horror!

I'm a bit of new comer when it came to "Don't Look In The Basement" so it was a treat to check
this one out before figuring out what to pair it with. "Messiah of Evil" has been in my horror vocab since the 8th grade when I discovered the old Video Gems big box rental. It certainly isn't the be all, end all zombie flick but it's a cool twist on the sub genre. What I love about both of these films is that they really show off their birth dates of 1973. The settings, the fashion, the hair, just ALL of what made the early 1970's so bell bottommy glorious!

Be sure to drop by the ole Ebay Coffin and check out the new titles. There are more on the way as I come up with a few more double features in anticipation of having a vendor table at this years Monster Fest 2016 in Chesapeake, Virginia. Plus another Halloween Hootenanny is on the drawing board and I hope to get that started and finished in the next few months!

Stay Ghoulish!!

The mummy must return to it's tomb....

Due to rights issues Celluloid Coffin Video is discontinuing La Venganza De La Momia. This 1973 film also known as The Mummy's Revenge was one of the first titles in the Coffins canon and as a small time DIY I was rather proud of this one. It was a good print, uncut, widescreen and in Spanish with English subs, a real treat for collectors of Spanish horror.

The good news is that Dorado Films has acquired the rights to this title which is a great thing! I know I can't do it justice with limited funds. I'm just a collector who's offering titles to other collectors. Dorado will do this up nicely. From what I have seen of their product, I have been impressed. Finally this wonderful film is getting an official U.S. DVD release (not sure about Blu-Ray) and I look forward to seeing the end result!

Stay groovy ghouls!

Back holy man! Back shaman! Back priest!

In 1979 I was just 8 years old. I was a 2 year graduate of the Star Wars (1977) phenomenon and by now a full fledged monsterkid. When the T.V. commercials began to appear for a new mini series on CBS that involved vampires, my pointed monsterkid ears perked to attention! Salem's Lot is by far the end all be all horror mini series. It freaked me out as a kid and it still delivers the goods for me 37 years later.

The mini series is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, as pretty much anyone reading this entry knows. It's been quite awhile since I have read the book but I remember it freaking me out as much as the T.V. adaptation. It concerns a writer by the name of Ben Mears (David Soul) returning to his childhood home to write a novel. A novel about a house, THE house, the Marsten house that sits at the top of the hill as one enters the sleepy little Maine town known as Salem's Lot.

There is also a new face in town. A face that ultimately comes to represent an unspeakable evil. An evil in the guise of an older British gentlemen by the name of Richard Straker (James Mason). Straker is a business partner to the yet unseen Kurt Barlow, they own an antiques company that has settled down in the town. What the residents don't know is that not only is Straker bringing in fine antiques, he is also bringing in and ultimately harboring the most evil and corrupt vessel of horror known to man.....a vampire.

And now the stage is set for director Tobe Hooper and screen writer Paul Monash to make it all come together in a two night, four hour historical television event.

Tobe Hooper is of course then and now best known for his seminal "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974) and Monash had already had success with Stephen King producing the film adaptation of "Carrie" (1976). This was certainly a "dream team" that came together at the right time and under the right circumstances. Monash combined and deleted characters from the original novel which is pretty understandable but still did a great job of conveying the story line and some sub plots. For me the stand out is of course Hooper's direction. The first part of the film (basically the first 2 hours) is spent introducing characters and building them up for the audience to either love or hate. Hooper also throws in a smattering of atmosphere and a few little jumps to keep you on your toes. I feel this is why the film works so well.

Hooper is able to keep you glued to the screen during the first half of the film. It really goes by at a very nice pace and you never get bored. There is just enough spookiness that you are kept in anticipation waiting for the truth to finally reveal itself. The first half ends on such a great note as well. The last half hour or so gives a peek at how the evil that has descended upon Salem's Lot is beginning to grow. The demise of the Glick brothers is a series of incredibly photographed sequences that are guaranteed to give you the shivers and keep you up night when you think you might have heard a slight tap at your bedroom window. The delivery of something cold and all out wrong in the guise of a headboard in a large crate is another extremely well filmed, albeit simple, sequence that is completely driven by actors Geoffrey Lewis (Mike Ryerson) and Barney McFadden (Ned Tibbets). This sequence alone shows how to convey horror and terror with not one single drop of stage blood nor a glimpse of what we all know has got to be in that crate.

At the end of the first night, the evil has wormed its way into the town and several of its townsfolk. The look of the undead is thrown right up in our faces as well. We all know what these vampires look like and they are scary as hell. The decision to go with glowing eyes through contact lenses was perfect. The eyes are more unsettling than the fangs in my opinion. And speaking of the fangs, these vampires are equipped with some wicked canines. They are discolored, which is a great look and really conveys the pestilence and disease that these creatures are carrying and dealing out.

The second half of the series finally introduces us to the big bad vampire played by Reggie Nalder. The name is never truly given but to the audience I always felt we are lead to believe this is Kurt Barlow. The "business partner" to Straker. Straker really is more of a body guard to Straker, an enabler, a protector if you will. James Mason plays this part very matter of fact. He pulls no punches really, he oozes evil. We really see it when he confronts the local priest and challenges the holy man to put down his cross and put his faith against the face of the monster. "Faith against face holy man!". The second half of Salem's Lot is an all out race against time. The townsfolk are being vampirized  pretty quickly as many are starting to show signs of being tired and sluggish. A side of effect of having your life blood drained during the wee hours of the night. The confrontation of Mike Ryerson and high school teacher Jason Burke (Lew Ayers) is one of those moments that sticks with you. Geoffery Lewis (Mike) seated in the rocking chair and slowly rising and contorting his body while hissing the lines "Look at me teacher!" gives me goose bumps as I'm typing!

Another brilliant confrontation is in the hospital morgue when Ben (Soul) is confronted by the Glick boys newly turned mother is expertly filmed and acted especially by David Soul. His stammering of Psalm 23 while the body of the mother begins to twitch and rise from the exam table is another goose pimply moment. He is able to fend her off with a cross made of tongue depressors and medical tape which really conveys the theory of faith being an important tool in fighting the undead vampire. The last hour of this second part of the film is very fast paced and finally brings us to the center of all the evil. The Marsten House confrontation is outstanding in set design alone. The emptiness of an abandoned house worn with age and neglect is perfectly captured. The house itself was a facade built on the hill for the film and cost a reportedly $100,000. I don't know if that included the inside set or not but wow did they nail it! Ben is accompanied by the local doctor Bill Norton (Ed Flanders) who is finally convinced of what is going on in Salem's Lot. He is also the father of Ben's love interest Susan (Bonnie Bedelia) who has also made it to the house after seeing a young boy, Mark Petrie (Lance Kerwin) enter the house looking for revenge upon the vampire.

The final battle sees Straker abduct Susan ("I've taken her to meet who she came to see.") and also impale her father on a wall adorned with antlers. A nice scene that shows that Straker is a rather powerful man or possibly more than human. He is killed by Ben when tries to attack him and Mark. Ben unloads a .38 revolver into him and Straker finally expires. Ben and Mark make it to the cellar of the Marsten house and discover the vampires resting place, its coffin residing in root cellar behind a metal door. They drag the coffin out and as the last rays of sunlight disappear Ben is able to slam a wooden stake into and through the heart of the dreaded vampire. This is another striking sequence that is well filmed and full of suspense. The space in which the coffin hides is also a resting place for those that have become servants of the undead vampire. As Mark looks on the horror of Ben staking the vampire you see the awakening of the others. They slowly crawl towards Mark as his back is to them, their eyes glowing and their hissing becoming louder as they approach. It really is a long lasting image that will forever be burned into my brain. It certainly is my favorite part of the entire film.

Ben and Mark set fire to the Marsten house, ultimately destroying the nest of vampires inside and Ben laments the fact that Susan has been turned into an undead creature and is dying inside. This brings us to our epilogue which finds Ben and Mark on the run from the scourge of vampires. They are in Guatemala filling up on holy water when the vessel begins to glow brightly and they know they have been found. Ben encounters a vampire in the house they are in and it turns out to be Susan. This is the one occasion where the vampire is presented in an eerily beautiful light. Ben is able to resist his love for Susan and brings her to an end with a wooden stake thus bringing the greatest mini series ever to a close. 

Let me take a moment to say something about the character of Mark Petrie. Mark represents the monsterkid in all of us. His room is adorned with movie posters for Frankenstein and Dracula. He has an incredible collection of the old Aurora model kits from the 70's and he already has a working knowledge of vampires and how to defend himself against them. There is even dialogue where he explains what a ghoul is to his friends the Glick brothers. While the whole movie clicked with me, this character clicked with me on a whole different level. While Mark is a teenager and I was only 8 when the mini series came out, I completely identified with the character. I had a working knowledge of monsters and vampires and I knew what a ghoul was. I so put myself in the shoes of Mark Petrie when he confronts the vampire and says "I'm gonna kill you!". I guess this is why this mini series works so well for me. Right place, right time.

If you haven't seen Salem's Lot do it and do it now. Find the mini series and completely bypass the condensed theatrical version that was released in Europe and VHS in the states as Salem's Lot: The Movie. While it's not a complete waste of time, it just doesn't have the bite that the mini series has......you see what I did there right?

Cheers ghouls!!

Salem's Lot (1979) Trailer

It's a place of refuge, it's a mansion in the fog!

Another release is upon us ghoulies! A nice tasty piece of Euro/Spanish celluloid entitled La Mansion De La Niebla aka Murder Mansion (1972).

This is one of those slow burn type of films that has just enough action in it to keep you awake but really it's an atmospheric thriller with plenty of fog. There's a great creepy mansion in the fog and an even creepier cemetery in the fog and several murders......in the fog. If you could set up your viewing area outside in the yard you should do so and make sure it's on a foggy evening.

It's also known as Maniac Mansion and Exorcism Mansion....why I have no idea but the poster is pretty rad!

Here's the skinny on the film itself. It's a Spanish/Italian co production directed by Francisco Lara Polop and written by Luis G. de Blain and Antonio Troiso. It stars Ida Galli who also was in Lucio Fulci's Seven Notes in Black (1977) and Analia Gade who starred in Exorcism's Daughter (1971). I wonder if that's where the whole "Exorcism Mansion" title might have been derived from? Oh the mind ponders doesn't it?

Murder Mansion (the U.S. title) hit video shelves in the 1980's via Charter Home Entertainment. It was dubbed into English of course but was presented to my knowledge pretty much intact without much or any censoring. Celluloid Coffin is proud to present this title in a nice Widescreen print with the original Spanish audio with English subtitles. A real steal for only $7.00 (plus shipping)! You can find it over at the ole bay....Ebay that is of course. And yes the price went up a buck due to new materials being used for the cover art. Nice glossy cover art!

There are several projects in the works right now at the old coffin. I'm still assembling a new trailer compilation and I hope to gear up for the fall with another Halloween Hootenanny! Of course all this just hinges on how much free time I have. There's a lot to do when you spend your time roaming the endless catacombs searching for mildew ridden cans of film to exhume! Until next time, keep watching spooky flicks!

Hello all! Happy belated New Years! It's been awhile since I have made a new entry and for that I apologize. Life has been busy in the coffin lately and with that said I thought I would update you Monsterkids on some new titles that are available now from Celluloid Coffin Video!

First up is one of my favorite 1950's sci fi flicks, Invasion of the Saucermen (1957). As a young Monsterkid I remember seeing this on t.v. and loving every minute of it. It's played as more comedy than frightening sci fi but it's so enjoyable. This movie introduced me to the big headed alien look. I can't recall how old I might have been but I was probably around 6 years old, but I found those big headed bug eyed creatures to be quite frightful! This film has never had an official DVD release and still floats around in limbo. Celluloid Coffin Video is proud to present this with very nice picture quality and fullscreen (4:3).

Paul Naschy returns to Celluloid Coffin Video in two titles that are some favorites of mine. Our first Naschy feature for 2016 is La Furia Del Hombre Lobo aka Fury of the Wolfman (1970). Waldemar Daninsky returns as everyone's favorite tortured soul of a Wolfman. This installment also stars the beautiful Perla Cristal. Fury is one Naschy title that has been released many times in it's edited American form. Celluloid Coffin Video presents this version under the title Werewolf Never Sleeps and is uncut. The print is a little shaky as it is taken from the Swedish VHS release. However it is the most complete English language print (with Swedish subtitles). A real mess of a film but a fun furry romp for sure!

Our next Naschy release also came out in 1970 and co stars Michael Rennie (The Day the Earth Stood Still) and Karin Dor (Castle of the Walking Dead). Los Monstruos Del Terror aka Assignment Terror has Naschy playing the role of Daninsky and the Frankenstein monster! It's also a tribute to the monster mash films of the 1940's as it features Earth's most frightening monsters as The Mummy and Dracula also make an appearance. This feature is presented in Widescreen format from a very nice Spanish language print. It's got English subtitles so you don't have to be bilingual! A nice extra is the German language trailer for the film under the title Dracula Jagt Frankenstein (Dracula Vs Frankenstein) which also was the American title for the film when it hit stateside in the 1970's. Ok I might have fibbed you will have to be bilingual to understand the German trailer!

And finally another Naschy gem! Inquisition (1978) the witch craft film starring Paul Naschy as a Witchfinder General investigating stories of witchcraft in a small village. Naschy becomes romantically involved with a young woman who has made a pact with the Devil! All hell breaks loose! A absolutely beautiful print in Spanish language with English subtitles. Lots of nudity in this one kids! It's also features some great performances from Naschy and Daniela Giordano. It also has a really great story line. A highly recommended film! The film is presented in Widescreen and it is stellar!


Also coming soon is another fun filled trailer compilation! I am currently slicing and dicing rotted celluloid and pasting it all together with crypt drippings left over from the bats so once it's finished fermenting the Coffin will be unleashing it onto the world!

As always ghoulies come on by the Ebay Coffin to grab a copy of the newest Celluloid Coffin Video release and our other releases as well. Feel free to rummage around the coffin to see what other goodies can be found as well!

Cheers!!

Coffindan

R.I.P. Wes Craven 1939 - 2015

At 7AM this morning I saw the news ticker across the bottom of my T.V. screen as I watched the morning newscast. Wes Craven was gone.....but certainly not forgotten.

I first heard of Craven through an ad in Fangoria magazine. The movie was "The Hills Have Eyes" but I can't really recall if it was an article on the movie or an ad for the soundtrack in Fangoria's soundtrack section. I didn't experience Craven's craft until 1984's "A Nightmare on Elm Street". I was instantly taken by the film and all it's nuances. I hadn't seen anything like it before unless you count Phantasm (1979) which I've always kind of thought ANOES was similar to. While Phantasm scared me, Nightmare and it's main character Freddy Krueger, scared me to death.

This film opened me up to the world of Wes Craven and I needed to see more of his work. I do know that after ANOES I went directly to The Hills Have Eyes. While the film was gritty and unsettling, it still didn't hit me like Elm Street did. With Elm Street I didn't know what was real or a dream (of course a running theme throughout the series) and the imagery is simply outstanding and frightening. That shot of Freddy with the out stretched arms slowly coming down the alley to get Tina is forever burned into my brain. I believe it was then I saw The Hills Have Eyes II and I was left feeling flat. The film just didn't have that "umph!" that Elm Street had and that I really wanted to experience again in a Wes Craven film.

Finally, one day while browsing the horror aisle at my local video store I saw the title I was looking for. The title I had read about but no one seemed to have on their shelves for rent (remember kids this was the mid - late 80's, we couldn't stream a movie on the internet you had to go out and rent a tape and if the store didn't have it in stock you were screwed). The Last House on the Left was the game changer for me. I had read about it so I knew what I was getting into, we I thought I did. By today's standards the film may have lost some of it's impact but still to me, it retains plenty of it. It was the film that seemed to get referenced all the time when people talked about Elm Street....and with good reason.

Last House was an assault on my senses. I hadn't seen such brutality on the screen until I popped that tape in the VCR. The film was extremely gritty, more so than Hills Have Eyes. The movie was full of squirm in your seat scenes which I admit bothered me the first go around. Hell they are still squirmy scenes which is a testament to Craven's ability as a director and story teller.

For me Craven's films were a series of ups and downs, good and not so good but always entertaining. When Craven returned in 1994 with Wes Craven's New Nightmare I was excited to see what he was going to bring to the Krueger family dinner table. Craven did not disappoint although some didn't like the film, I thought it was a nice return to that dark uncertainty that was found in the original Nightmare film. 1996 would be the year that really brought Craven back into the mainstream of the horror genre. Scream was an instant hit in theaters and a very nice tribute to the slasher film genre from a man who helped shape the genre in the 80's. While it might not be one of my favorite films of the Craven cannon, it is still one that has its frightful place on the shelves of many a horror fan.

Wes Craven will be missed. I will miss seeing his name pop up on new projects or seeing that he will be making an appearance at a horror convention. Although I never got a chance to meet the director, I have always heard some many great stories from those who have. He was described as one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet.....which seems about right. Usually it's the nice ones that have the ability to scare the pants off us!