Poltergeist at the Avon Theatre Tonight!

Attention Vault dwellers! I will once again be returning to the historic Avon Theatre in the Connecticut metropolis of Stamford, this time for the pleasure of hosting a special screening of Poltergeist as part of the theatre's "Cult Classics" series. Many of you may recall that Captain Cruella and I hosted the 25th anniversary screening of The Return of the Living Dead last month, and the Avon was kind enough to invite me back, so who am I to say no? Alas, I will not be joined by the good Captain this time, as she is in the midst of mustering her vast zombie forces for the upcoming Ghouls Yule in Saugerties next month--all the more reason to come down and keep me company, of course.

I'm beyond psyched to be introducing one of the seminal horror-event films of the 1980s, and would be even more psyched if you would join me. So if you're anywhere near the Stamford area, I expect to see you there as I delve into the awesomeness of Craig T. Nelson, the infamous Hooper/Spielberg directorial controversy, and much more.

The Avon Theatre is located at 272 Bedford Street in Stamford, and the screening kicks off at 9pm. Special thanks to the staff for allowing yours truly to show his face once again--especially Adam Birnbaum, director of film programming. And of course, thanks as always to my murderous muse, Captain Cruella, for getting her steel-toed foot in the door and making these evenings with the Avon possible in the first place!

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Zelda Rubinstein 1933-2010

Zelda Rubinstein was not an actress whose career was enmeshed in the horror genre, and yet the entire horror community is currently mourning her passing with deep sadness. This is because Ms. Rubinstein brought to life one of the most beloved and identifiable supporting characters in horror movie history--the tiny medium Tangina Barrons from Poltergeist, whose trademark line "Don't go into the light" is right up there with "We all go a little mad sometimes," "They're coming to get you, Barbara," and "Here's Johnny!"

She reprised the role in both of the later Poltergeist sequels--the only character to do so besides little Carol Anne herself, portrayed by the late Heather O'Rourke. Zelda will forever live in our memories, a true horror movie icon just by virtue of this one unforgettable part--the gentle, diminutive psychic who aided the Freeling family in taking their little girl back from the clutches of the Beast.

She got her start in movies playing in the obscure 1981 comedy Under the Rainbow, in which she portrayed one of the Munchkins from the Wizard of Oz. She was a regular on the critically acclaimed 1990s TV series Picket Fences with Tom Skerritt, and ironically her last film appearance would be in a horror film, as well--2006's Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. Fun fact: She returned to the role of Tangina for a cameo in the 1995 Casper movie (as did Dan Akroyd as ghostbuster Ray Stantz), but her scene was unfortunately left on the cutting room floor.

Ms. Rubinstein suffered a heart attack late last year, and had been in grave condition ever since. Her family took her off life support some weeks ago, and yesterday she finally succumbed at the age of 76.

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Neato Poltergeist FX Podcast

Hey Poltergiest fans! Bummed about the inevitable remake trudging our way? Well, can't do much about that, but I can direct your attention to this terrific podcast over at the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) website.

Cinematographer Matthew Leonetti and visual effects supervisor Richard Edlund discuss the techniques used in Tobe Hooper's 1982 fan favorite. You can download it either as an iTunes podcast, or an mp3 audio file.

Oh, and sorry for publishing that mondo groady shot from the movie. That moment was responsible for more childhood nightmares than I care to count. I just had to share it.

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It's Ba-a-a-a-a-a-ack.....

Ya know, I think I might have to change the theme of this blog to "horror movie remakes". Is it just me, or is that pretty much what the horror film industry (or the whole industry in general) has become about in recent years?
The newest remake rumor revolves around Tobe Hooper's and Steven Spielberg's 1982 big-budget shocker Poltergeist. Bloody Disgusting maintains that Mandate Pictures, a subsidiary of horror bastion Lions Gate, is currently angling for the rights. It looks like it's only a matter of time. Anyone know if Dakota Fanning is busy?

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