Vanity Scare #9

RUE MORGUE (#124, July 2012)

- I remember seeing bits and pieces of The Entity on television as a wee lad, but it didn't leave an impression on me. How could it? It was censored. More than likely, I'll pick up the approaching Blu-ray, a release that observes the film's 30th anniversary. Naturally, the Rue crew lionizes the pensive "ghost rape" vehicle with an in-depth cover story. An interview with director Sidney J. Furie acts as the centerpiece, and we also hear from David Labiosa (he played Billy, Carla's conflicted son). It's a gripping read, but I wasn't expecting it to be such a downer. Furie doesn't consider The Entity to be a horror movie (um, okay). In fact, he castigates the genre, and he comes off as a condescending crotchet. As for Labiosa, well, I need a new hyphen for him.

- Apparently, his coadjutors turned on him when he refused to perform a stunt that could have potentially electrocuted him. Even Barbara Hershey treated him differently from that day forward. He was equally disheartened to learn that an incest angle between him and his screen mother was going to be truncated from the screenplay. First of all, THE FUCK? Secondly, THE FUCK?

- The Toronto International Film Festival is hosting a multi-platform David Cronenberg exhibit. Free healthcare wasn't enough, huh?

- Kelly Robinson's piece on 25 lost horror films was fascinating. When I say "lost," I'm not referring to unsung classics that coasted under the radar. I'm talking about movies that are literally lost. The most famous example is 1927's London After Midnight, a phantasmal shocker starring Lon Chaney Sr. that only survives as a permutation of still photographs. The actual prints were vaporized in a fire at one of MGM's studio vaults. I won't run down the entire list, but I will mention a couple of rather intriguing titles. There were two kaiju flicks produced before 1954's Gojira. Ironically, they were both King Kong mashes. 1933's Wasei Kingu Kongu (a.k.a. Japanese King Kong...I'm fluent in Engrish) was a silent short that may not have existed at all. 1938's King Kong Appears in Edo definitely existed, but unfortunately, the reels were reportedly destroyed during the WWII bombings.

- The interview with the cartoon members of Dethklok was...cute? On second thought, it wasn't very funny. Besides, I fail to see the horror connection.

- I wanted the interview with William Lustig to be longer. Blue Underground is an eminent DVD distro, and I was hoping to gain insight into their current slate of acquisitions. I can't fucking believe that there are remakes of Maniac (!) and Maniac Cop (!!) on the horizon. Fuck you, society.

- It was cool to see Cinemacabre tackle The Asphyx, a forgotten British chiller. It wasn't issued by Hammer or Amicus, but it's worth a rental.

- Hey, they reviewed the new Dying Fetus album. If you haven't heard it yet, redeem yourself, unless you're with child. It's so brutal, it will terminate your pregnancy.

Honestly, the article on lost horror films alone is worth the price of admission. Swarm your local newsstands.