Saturday, March 2, 2013

Saturday Night at the Movies 3/2/13!

Who cares what picture we see?


Tom Towles looks like the kind of man who would, so this it must be:








I lucked on to a very interesting situation back in the early 90's. I was working for a small northern Indiana video store chain called Box Office Video. They would get screener tapes in, and after the chain owner culled out the biggest releases for himself - the lower budget action and horror pictures were up for grabs. We lesser lights would scramble for the action stuff, but after that dust settled the horror pictures would be left sitting. (It pays to work with an exclusively all-female staff of young middle aged wives and moms who didn't like horror. And wore a lot of skirts.) So I would scoop all the horror movies up.

The main source of these movies was Paramount - which was really pushing their partnership with Charles Band's Full Moon Entertainment by sending out every one of the Full Moon releases on a screener tape. I even eventually called Full Moon and convinced them I was Box Office Video's ordering agent and got the address changed to my house - so that all of the posters and promo materials started coming direct to me instead of the store - as too much disappeared from over there - more I think because some of my co-workers wanted me not to have the stuff more than wanting it themselves.

But for about a year I got posters, postcards, calendars, trading cards...it was awesome! And thankfully the real Box Office Video ordering agent did place large orders for these flicks - three or four copies per store across the chain. Eventually they seemed to catch on, and my mailings ended.

I still have the screener VHS of this movie - a pretty well done medieval horror flick - with a terrific cast (Lance Henriksen, Jeffrey Combs, Tom Towles, Frances Bay, and a cameo from a slumming Oliver Reed) and a fair amount of director Stuart Gordon's trademark ghoulish humor. We could have it warming up in the combo Blu-Ray/VHS machine in moments - if you cared to come by - even tonight!


Until next post, you Can Poke Me With A Fork, Cause I Am Outta Here!

12 comments:

  1. that was a great film, the score is still a favorite... in fact i am listening to it right now!

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    1. That's really funny! Is it a stand alone soundtrack - or the Full Moon compilation CD?

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  2. Very cool! You are an imaginative and clever man, I would have never thought to have stuff like that sent to me. I love that you were bold like that. I remember this one well and would love to see it with you one day soon. We'd have a blast!

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    1. Indeed we would! I just remember going in and finding out from a co-worker that a poster or two from Full Moon had either been taken, or thrown away - and I got mad and the next day off called Full Moon (we had their phone number on scads of promotional flyers) and told them to switch the address. Easy peasy!

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  3. ah, I remember the cover from the Rental Store days. Unfortunately, I've never seen this adaptation.

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    1. I would love to read the HMD review! Maybe one of these days!

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  4. What a great opportunity Craig! I miss those old video stores. That poster is very chilling.

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    1. It was a great opportunity - and if Charles Band ever found out - he might present me a bill if I run into him at another Full Moon Roadshow event!

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  5. I love this Poe story. The only version I've seen was with Vincent Price. This one takes it to a whole other level. LOL. So cool that you got all that stuff sent to your house! You must have been in movie heaven. Pretty sweet deal.

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    1. Amazing story. Of COURSE I love the Corman/Price version - but this one is well done - and Henriksen is incredible in it - and you know, he started this on a Monday after coming off playing a long haired biker villain in the Brian Bosworth action flick Stone Cold the previous Friday. Dayum!

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  6. Is this the one where the accused witch swallows all the gunpowder so she'll explode whilst being burned at the stake, causing no end of trouble? Because if it is, I LIKE IT!

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    1. That is the one! The late great Frances Bay in a splendid performance. My makeup buds worked with her on something some years ago and said she was a very cool lady as well.

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