News

The phrase of “be careful what you wish for” is associated with W. W. Jacobs’ “The Monkey’s Paw,” yet it doesn’t actually appear anywhere in the 1902 short story. The closest semblance is the line, “If you must wish, wish for something sensible.” That said, the more ubiquitous statement emphasizes the risk of tempting fate.

This one punishing lesson in resisting greed, taking responsibility, and exerting self-control has gone on to spawn numerous adaptations, both faithful and loose. From film to television, W. W. Jacobs’ cautionary tale has touched just about every form of entertainment since its birth.

And if the classic “The Monkey’s Paw” wasn’t enough to stop the allure of wish fulfillment, then perhaps these twenty other stories might do the trick.

Tales from the Crypt: Wish You Were Here (1972)

Image: Richard Greene and Barbara Murray in “Wish You Were Here” from Tales from the Crypt (1972).

Amicus Productions...

Halloween is over, but we keep the horror movie recommendations coming your way all year long with our Best Horror Movie You Never Saw video series. Today’s new episode takes a look back at the 1972 film Tales from the Crypt (watch it Here), which was inspired by the same EC Comics series that also inspired the popular HBO series. You can find out all about it by checking out the video embedded above!

Directed by Freddie Francis from a screenplay written by Milton Subotsky, Tales from the Crypt has the following synopsis:

When people in a tourist group get lost within ancient catacombs, they meet the sinister Crypt Keeper, who tells them each their fate. The creepy figure’s macabre stories involve Joanne Clayton, a wife dabbling in murder, and Grymsdyke, a retired sanitation worker targeted by his suspicious neighbors. Among the other characters is adulterer Carl Maitland, who...

I for one will never tire of them: those assorted candy boxes with always one or two disagreeable sorts to spit out, but overall filled with enjoyable treats. And so it goes in the movies as well; call them horror portmanteaus, omnibuses, or lotsashortstogether, they offer outrageous highs littered with occasional lows that offer a sugar rush once the box is done. Tales from the Crypt (1972) is one of my favorite examples of a horrific sampler.

This Amicus production was given a release by Twentieth Century Fox in its native UK, and by Cinerama Releasing Corporation in the US, and did quite well on both sides of the pond. Cinerama got the jump in March, with the UK afforded spookier seasonal vibes that September. Critics were kind to this latest from the studio that gave us Torture Garden and The House That Dripped Blood, and spotlit Peter Cushing in perhaps his most poignant role.

Much of Ealing Studios’ core appeal begins right here, with T.E.B. Clarke’s astute look at the character of pragmatic, energetic Londoners, who in this fantasy face an outrageous situation with spirit, pluck, and a determination not to be cheated. What happens when a few square blocks of London discover that they’re no longer even part of the British Empire? A classic of wartime ‘adjustments,’ the ensemble comedy even begins with a Tex Avery- like ode to rationing.

Passport to Pimlico

Blu-ray

Film Movement Classics

1949 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 84 min. / Street Date December 20, 2019 / 29.95

Starring: Stanley Holloway, Hermione Baddeley, Margaret Rutherford, Sydney Tafler, Betty Warren, Barbara Murray, Paul Dupuis, John Slater, Jane Hylton, Raymond Huntley, Philip Stainton, Roy Carr, Nancy Gabrielle, Malcolm Knight, Roy Gladdish, Frederick Piper, Charles Hawtrey, Stuart Lindsell, Naunton Wayne, Basil Radford, Gilbert Davis, Michael Hordern, Arthur Howard, Bill Shine, Harry Locke, Sam Kydd.

Cinematography: Lionel...

Vivien Leigh ca. late 1940s. Vivien Leigh movies: now controversial 'Gone with the Wind,' little-seen '21 Days Together' on TCM Vivien Leigh is Turner Classic Movies' star today, Aug. 18, '15, as TCM's “Summer Under the Stars” series continues. Mostly a stage actress, Leigh was seen in only 19 films – in about 15 of which as a leading lady or star – in a movie career spanning three decades. Good for the relatively few who saw her on stage; bad for all those who have access to only a few performances of one of the most remarkable acting talents of the 20th century. This evening, TCM is showing three Vivien Leigh movies: Gone with the Wind (1939), 21 Days Together (1940), and A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). Leigh won Best Actress Academy Awards for the first and the third title. The little-remembered film in-between is a TCM premiere. 'Gone with the Wind' Seemingly all...

Cameron K McEwan Aug 16, 2016

Cameron sings the praises of 25 classic and modern Doctor Who adventures that went underappreciated. See what made the cut below...

Doctor Who fans can be an odd bunch at times (and by that I mean all the time), what's gold to one is dross to another. And when you think everyone is agreed on a genuine stinker (Timelash, for example), you'll find it has admirers in abundance. But what's here are some of the stories that, for whatever reason, get overlooked, underseen and, perhaps, undervalued - in no particular order.

The Awakening

Two-parters often get forgotten about (in classic Doctor Who at any rate) and this Peter Davison story, whilst perhaps best known to Who fans for a famous blooper featuring a horse, has some tremendous imagery and beautiful location shooting. Best of all is the villain of the piece, The Malus, who put the willies...

Feature Cameron K McEwan 26 Apr 2013 - 07:00

Cameron sings the praises of twenty-five classic and modern Doctor Who adventures that deserve more love. See what made the cut below...

Doctor Who fans can be an odd bunch at times (and by that I mean all the time), what's gold to one is dross to another. And when you think everyone is agreed on a genuine stinker (Timelash, for example), you'll find it has admirers in abundance. But what's here are some of the stories that, for whatever reason, get overlooked, underseen and, perhaps, undervalued - in no particular order.

The Awakening

Two-parters often get forgotten about (in classic Doctor Who at any rate) and this Peter Davison story, whilst perhaps best known to Who fans for a famous blooper featuring a horse, has some tremendous imagery and beautiful location shooting. Best of all is the villain of the piece, The Malus,...

A couple of years ago, Doctor Who Magazine ran a contest in which you could win the chance to commentate on an episode of Survival. Foolishly, I decided to enter with a less than glowing review of Black Orchid. Needless to say, it didn't win, for one of the possible reasons. A) Peter Davison et al came up with a more scathing review on the accompanying DVD commentary; B) 200 words isn't enough for me to write everything I want, since there's more waffle in my writing than the entire output of Bird's Eye; and C) It was rubbish anyway.

Another potential reason is that in theory, Black Orchid shouldn't warrant such harsh criticism. It's a mid-season diversion with a down time, holiday feel – Doctor and co travel back to the Roaring 20s to play cricket, eat food and dance at the swanky Cranleigh abode. That's all.

But then having seen the thing again,...

The following is a list of accredited, degree-granting acting programs at colleges and universities in the United States and the United Kingdom. It includes schools that grant either a degree in acting or a degree in another major that has an acting component or concentration. In general, B.A.and M.A.programs are more academic in nature (though they may offer a performance component or concentration),while Bfa and Mfa programs focus on training professional performers.An A.A.is a two-year junior-college degree.The list also includes nondegree acting programs that have a structured curriculum.THEATERUndergraduateALABAMAAuburn UniversityDepartment of Theater, 211 Telfair B. Peet Theatre, Auburn, Al, 36849-5422. Dan Larocque, chair, theatre@auburn.edu; http://media.cla.auburn.edu/theatre; (334) 844-4748; B.A. in theater, Bfa in musical theater, performance, design/tech, and management. Auburn University, MontgomeryDepartment of Communication and Dramatic Arts, P.O. Box 244023, Rm 223 Liberal Arts, Montgomery, Al,...