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Tales from the Crypt fans aren’t accustomed to seeing a lot of shocking twists and turns in this iconic anthology series. Just the opposite, a good number of endings can be seen coming a mile away. At the same time, though, the show often delivers craft, campiness, and macabre humor.

One example is “Mournin’ Mess,” an episode that seemed hellbent on taking the guesswork out of the whole mystery. Indeed, surprising you isn’t the top priority here, but your total awareness shouldn’t be a dealbreaker. And “Mournin’ Mess” ranks high when highlighting the meanest stories Crypt has to offer.

”I hope you like shish kebab… Damn, it isn’t ready yet; Bob’s still moving!”

Considering how the Cryptkeeper is dressed as a chef, a copy of “Betty Croaker Cook Book” is put on display, and the host’s lead-in is chock-full of gastro-horror puns, “Mournin’ Mess...

The pilot for "Community" creator Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab's TV series "Heat Vision and Jack" was ordered by Fox back in 1999, but the network was a little put off by the show and never picked it up for a series. The pilot did end up airing on Fox as a 30-minute TV special, although it gained more notoriety among VHS traders and cult TV lovers. "Heat Vision and Jack," as directed by Ben Stiller, was to be a "Renegade"-style series about Jack Austin (Jack Black), an itinerant loner-on-the-road who helps random people in trouble. His only possession is his reliable motorcycle, and he is on the run from the law.

The twist is that Jack's motorcycle could talk to him, as it contained the spirit of his best friend Doug (Owen Wilson). Doug had been recently shot by an experimental ray gun, shunting his consciousness into the motorcycle.

Here’s a trivia question for everyone: What’s the connection between Star Trek: The Original Series and the movies The Goonies, Throw Momma from the Train, and Scrooged? The answer is… Logan Ramsey, the late, great character actor whose career spanned from 1948 to 1999 and who would have turned 104 on March 21, 2025.

Star Trek fans will recall that Ramsey low-key chewed the scenery as Proconsul Claudius Marcus in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “Bread and Circuses.” He’s the character who gave his slave, Drusilla (Lois Jewell), to Captain Kirk (William Shatner), so that Kirk could enjoy “some last hours as a man” before his execution. Sadly, Ramsey died of a heart attack at the age of 79 in 2000.

In addition to Star Trek, he counted among his many theater, movie, and television credits The Devil’s Disciple and The Great Indoors, both on stage; the films Head, Walking Tall, Any Which Way You Can,...

Clive Barker has gifted audiences with some of the most disturbing horror stories for over 40 years, both in his many works of fiction and his occasional forays onto screens both big and small. The British horror icon is best known for writing and directing Hellraiser, a screen adaptation of his novella The Hellbound Heart, which spawned a massively successful (though creatively dubious) franchise and a well-received reboot in 2022. Dismayed by poor adaptations of his previous work, Barker opted to direct the film himself, a relatively unprecedented move for a young writer at the time.

While Hellraiser is often in the conversation for best horror films of all time, Barker's two follow-ups as director failed to capture the same kind of attention. His second film, Nightbreed, flopped upon release, but has since come to be considered an underrated cult classic, receiving a director's cut re-release back in 2014. But his third film,...

This article contains spoilers for all of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the show titled after her are both cultural icons. Buffy is one of those series that most sci-fi, fantasy, and horror fans have some kind of awareness of even if they have never watched an episode. It kick-started the careers of Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg, and David Boreanaz as Angel.

The series was also stuffed to the brim with memorable moments, from the hilarious (Buffy trying to mime staking a vampire in “Hush”), to the kick-ass (Buffy taking out the Judge with a rocket launcher in “Innocence”), to the gut-wrenching (Buffy finding Joyce in “The Body”). But there is one moment that stands out above all the others and embodies what the show is about.

It is the making of the character of Buffy, it is a mission statement for the show,...

Despite never being nominated for Best Picture, Star Trek movies attract big-name Hollywood actors and have had a few Oscar winners among its cast. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a 1975 movie that won five Academy Awards including Best Picture, featured six actors who would later star in Star Trek movies and shows. Louise Fletcher, who won an Oscar for her role in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, later played Kai Winn in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, showing that Star Trek offers rich character material for esteemed actors.

One Oscar winning movie featured six actors from across the Star Trek franchise, and also earned one star an Academy Award. Several Star Trek movies have been nominated for Oscars, but none have ever won, or been nominated for, the coveted Best Picture Oscar. Star Trek movies are generally nominated for technical awards like visual effects, makeup, and sound design,...

The classic movie Ghost would have been a lot different if it had starred Michael J. Fox, but that's something that might have happened if the iconic actor hadn't turned it down. Back when Ghost was starting production in the late 1980s, Fox was one of Hollywood's hottest stars, riding high off of the success of Back to the Future. He was among a handful of actors in consideration for playing the role of Sam Wheat in Ghost, a part that would ultimately go to Patrick Swayze. In a new interview with Variety, Fox confirms that he was asked about the role during the casting process, but the Family Ties star says he turned it down because he didn't think the film would turn out well.

“I didn’t see how it would work... It shows I can be an idiot too," Fox says.

Fox isn't the only Hollywood star...

Thanks to “The X-Files,” millions of people around the globe are terrified of what lies under the bed. They steer clear of sewers at all cost. And every 30 years they watch over their shoulders for a certain liver-eating mutant to come out of hibernation. Over the span of 11 seasons and 218 episodes, Fox’s quintessential TV series has scared the bile out of us with its parade of frightening creatures, as investigated by FBI Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson). Which ones were your all-time favorites on the show? Scroll through our photo gallery above (or click here for direct access) to see the most memorable “The X-Files” monsters ranked from worst to best.

“The X-Files” premiered on September 10, 1993 and ran for nine seasons, ending on May 19, 2002. It was brought back for two short-lived revivals in 2016 and 2018. The series stuck to its original format for much of its run,...

Wow! I did not have a Ghost remake from Channing Tatum on my 2023 Bingo card, folks, and yet, here we are. According to a Vanity Fair cover story, Tatum’s production company, Free Association, owns the film rights to the supernatural drama released in 1990, starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg.

“We actually have the rights,” Tatum said to Vanity Fair. “Yeah, we have the rights to ‘Ghost.'” The report also says Tatum could play Patrick Swayze’s role in the remake.

“But we’re going to do something different,” Tatum added, referring to changes he plans to make to the original film’s harmful stereotypes.

Jerry Zucker directed Ghost from a script by Bruce Joel Rubin. Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Goldwyn, Vincent Schiavelli, and Rick Aviles star in the romantic fantasy comedy. Zucker’s 1990 classic revolves around Sam West (Swayze), a murdered banker whose...

Christina Ricci has been a mainstay in Hollywood for 30 years, breaking out due to The Addams Family movies of the 1990s. Perfecting the role to differentiate it from previous portrayals of the character, she is still synonymous with the character to this day, so it isn't shocking that she will be appearing in Wednesday, a new show focusing on the character, coming to Netflix on November 23rd.

But Ricci is not the only actor who has appeared in a TV version of their movie. Throughout film history, numerous actors have stopped by the small screen to give a nod to their TV counterparts.

Ice Cube: Are We There Yet (2005)

Ice Cube is inarguably one of the greatest rappers of all time and his movie career, appropriately, began with more adult-orientated films. However, Are We There Yet? changed that, putting the actor in a fish-out-of-water role. It not only spawned a...

Ever since letter-writing campaigns got the original "Star Trek" a third season, science fiction fans have beat the drum for their favorite shows that got prematurely canceled. Sometimes it works: "Jericho" got a second season thanks to fans mailing bags of nuts to the studio. Other times it doesn't: "Firefly" fans managed to get a movie, but never the revived series they wanted. Honestly, that's probably for the best given what we now know about Joss Whedon and Adam Baldwin.

While we don't hold out a lot of actual hope for the shows below to come back, this article highlights sci-fi series from the last several decades that should have run longer, either because they ended poorly/awkwardly or just because they were way too short. Where possible, because we're nothing if not constructive, suggestions are included as to how a continuation today might go. Here are 12 canceled sci-fi shows that deserve a second chance.

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On director/co-writer/co-editor Dean Fleischer-Camp discusses some of his favorite movies with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On (2022)

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On (2010)

The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980)

San Andreas (2015)

Airplane! (1980) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Ghost (1990)

Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985)

Beetlejuice (1988) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s review

Batman (1989)

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Batman Returns (1992) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s review

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Ed Wood (1994)

Mars Attacks (1996)

Sleepy Hollow (1999)

Planet of the Apes (2001)

The Witches of Eastwick (1987)

8 ½ (1963) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Westworld (1973) – Ed Neumeier’s trailer commentary

Robocop (1987) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray reviews

Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

Alien (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings

Aliens (1986) – Glenn Erickson’s...

Few remember the short-lived 1970s sitcom “The Corner Bar” and fewer still can recall one of its characters. But those who do celebrate both. Because the series, which premiered 50 years ago this week, introduced the first out gay person seen on a regular basis on an American TV show. With the two came the (slow) linking at last of a largely until-then dismissed part of culture with the business of entertainment media.

A tavern-set ensemble sitcom along the lines of “Cheers,” to come a decade later, “The Corner Bar” was one of a pair of summer replacement shows that ABC introduced back-to-back on June 21, 1972. Its premise was as simple as its title, focusing on the nightly life at Grant’s Toomb, a New York City bar run by Harry Grant (Gabriel Dell). Less simple for the time was that one of its barflies was out gay set-designer Peter Panama (played...

“Learn it. Know it. Live it!” The best-remembered teen comedy of the ’80s is also an insightful and unabashed look at real attitudes, behaviors and motivations of young people learning to deal with adult issues. Beyond the hilarious Sean Penn and the luscious Phoebe Cates lies a talent squad of notables and stars-to-be like Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold and Robert Romanus, with appearances by Amanda Wyss, Forest Whitaker, Eric Stoltz, Nicolas Coppola and Anthony Edwards. The stunning feature directing debut of Amy Heckerling, from Cameron Crowe’s undercover high school exposé, should be acknowledged as a modern classic.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Blu-ray

The Criterion Collection 1075

1982 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 89 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date May 11, 2021 / 39.95

Starring: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Robert Romanus, Brian Backer, Phoebe Cates, Ray Walston, Scott Thomson, Vincent Schiavelli, Amanda Wyss, Forest Whitaker, Kelli Maroney, Eric Stoltz, James Russo,...

This month marks the 25th anniversary of one of the most iconic “The X-Files” episodes of all time, “Humbug.” Written by Darin Morgan and directed by the late Kim Manners, this episode about a series of murders in a circus town originally aired March 31, 1995 on Fox. It was the first hour that perfectly blended horror with comedy, a combination fans later saw in such Morgan-penned episodes as “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose,” “War of the Coprophages” and “Jose Chung’s From Outer Space.” (See all Darin Morgan episodes below in our photo gallery.)

See‘The X-Files’: We rank the Top 10 monsters from worst to best, including Flukeman and Eugene Victor Tooms

Throughout “Humbug,” FBI agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) bicker about what’s really causing the murders in town. Mulder thinks it’s the fabled Fiji mermaid, which Scully believes is nothing but a hoax. Scully is eventually proven correct,...

Back in the summer of 1992, director Tim Burton unleashed his sequel to his hit take on Batman called Batman Returns. This underappreciated flick starred Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne / Batman, Danny DeVito as Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin, and the fantastic Michelle Pfeiffer as Selina Kyle / Catwoman. If you remember in that movie, Pfeiffer brandishes a whip for all of our collective enjoyment and today it looks like the actress has found the old prop and - get this - still knows how to make it sing.

Michelle Pfeiffer recently took to her Instagram account to show off the whip saying, "Look what I found. Needs a little TLC." Then a bit later she shared a video of herself cracking the good old whip just like a femme fatale Indiana Jones. I don't know about you, but this is pure joy for me considering that not only was Michelle Pfeiffer one of my first crushes,...

Two-time Oscar winning Czech director Milos Forman has died at the age of 86, according to Reuters and reports. Forman’s wife Martina informed Czech news agency Ctk that the filmmaker passed after a brief illness in the Us.

Part of the Czech new wave, Forman graduated from the Prague Film Faculty of the Academy of Dramatic Arts, and caught global attention with such titles as Black Peter (1964), The Loves of a Blonde (1965) and The Firemen’s Ball(1967). The latter two were Oscar nominees for best foreign film.

In 1968, he fled Czechoslovakia during the Prague spring for the Us. The Fireman’s Ball, about an ill-fated event in a provincial town, was a knock on Eastern European Communism and created a stir in his homeland with the regime. His 1971 comedy, Taking Off, his first American title, won the 1971 Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival and starred Buck Henry and Lynn Carlin...

Jeffrey Tambor is a fantastically prolific actor, appearing in everything from Hill Street Blues to Star Vs. The Forces Of Evil, with a ton of rightly celebrated comedic and dramatic performances in between. One cinematic milestone he was not in, however, was Ghost, as he was forced to remind Ryan Seacrest this week during an appearance on Live With Kelly And Ryan.

Now, given the fact that Tambor mentions that people frequently confuse him with the late Vincent Schiavelli—who played the terrifying Subway Ghost in the aforementioned Patrick Swayze flick—in his new book, and the fact that Seacrest seemed to have a question about the confusion prepped and on-hand, it seems pretty likely that the host’s “flub” was less than genuine. That being said, Tambor’s reaction seems perfectly real, quickly switching into a smirking, pitying faux-anger at Seacrest that’s a lot of fun to behold...

The new branded line Shout Selects chooses Buckaroo for special-special edition treatment, with a long making-of docu just like the ones from the heyday of DVD. And this oddest of oddball sci-fi pictures has a backstory worth documenting. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension Blu-ray Shout Select 1984 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 102 min. / Street Date August 16, 2016 / 34.93 Starring: Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd, Lewis Smith, Rosalind Cash, Robert Ito, Pepe Serna, Ronald Lacey, Matt Clark, Clancy Brown, Carl Lumbly, Vincent Schiavelli, Dan Hedaya, Bill Henderson, Damon Hines, Billy Vera Cinematography Fred J. Koenekamp Production Designer J. Michael Riva Art Direction Richard Carter, Stephen Dane Film Editor George Bowers, Richard Marks Original Music Michael Boddicker Written by Earl Mac Rauch Produced by Sidney Beckerman, Neil Canton, W.D. Richter Directed by W.D. Richter

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Not content with its already well appointed special Blu-ray editions,...

[Originally appeared in Deadly Magazine #5] While fans of The X-Files may have been drawn in by the conspiracy theory plots interwoven throughout the series’ nine seasons, there’s a lot to be said for Chris Carter’s “Monster-of-the-Week” approach, which gave us some of the greatest creatures and oddities to ever grace the small screen.

If you’ve ever wanted to check out The X-Files, but don’t necessarily desire the shadow government and alien cover-up mythologies, here are several great stand-alone episodes that can be enjoyed as mini-horror and/or sci-fi movies—even if you aren’t well-versed on all things Mulder and Scully.

“Humbug” (Season 2, Episode 20): In “Humbug,” FBI Special Agents Mulder and Scully are called down to a trailer park in Florida where a string of mysterious murders have targeted a community of retired freak show performers for years. What they uncover is something akin to the cult classic film Basket Case...

Stars: Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Goldblum, Ellen Barkin, Lewis Smith, Rosalind Cash, Robert Ito, Pepe Serna, Ronald Lacey, Matt Clark, Clancy Brown, William Traylor, Carl Lumbly, Vincent Schiavelli | Written by Earl Mac Rauch | Directed by W.D. Richter

Arrow Video know their cult movies, you just have to look at the ones they’ve released to see that. If you were to ask the question, how crazy can a cult movie be? I think you just have to look at their latest release for that. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is probably one of the strangest (yet still good) Eighties movies you’ll ever see.

When Buckaroo Banzai (Peter Weller), the brilliant physicist-neurosurgeon-martial arts master-secret-rock star manages to use the Oscillation Overthruster to travel to the 8th dimension he draws the attention of the Red Lectroids (an alien race obviously.) Working with Banzai’s...

Over the course of its 202 episodes, The X Files attracted many notable guest stars. Some appeared before they hit the big time (Ryan Reynolds, Jack Black, Seth Green, Felicity Huffman, Shia Labeouf, James Franco, Jane Lynch, Bradley Whitford, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Octavia Spencer, Luke Wilson, Grant Heslov, Giovanni Ribisi and Titus Welliver), while many appearances were made by people who were already legends in their own fields, with talented performers such as Lily Tomlin, Ed Asner, Michael McKean, Peter Boyle, Gary Shandling, Lance Henriksen, Roy Thinnes, Veronica Cartwright, Floyd ‘Red Crow’ Westerman, Brad Dourif, Kathy Griffin and Ricky Jay providing some of the show’s most memorable moments. With six new episodes about to shoot for a limited series event, that prestigious list of guest stars is already expanding, with Joel McHale being the latest addition.

The plot of the brief new series remains unknown, but Deadline is reporting...

Lgbt depiction in pop culture has come a long way since its first rumblings in the early ’70s. From the first recurring gay character on television (Vincent Schiavelli in The Corner Bar) to the Glee phenomenon, Lgbt-inclusive media is more prominent than ever before.

There are so many moments in entertainment that shaped Lgbt Hollywood forever. We offer several of those watershed events here. If your favorites didn’t make the list, let us know what you think are the greatest highlights in the comments below.

1971: Sunday Bloody Sunday shows first shame-free gay kiss

The British film about a bisexual man who is dating both a woman and man showed the first same-sex smooch without guilt.

1971: All in the Family bridges gay topics

In a benchmark episode, Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor) has to deal with his prejudices when he believes an old friend could be gay. The...

Lgbt depiction in pop culture has come a long way since its first rumblings in the early ’70s. From the first recurring gay character on television (Vincent Schiavelli in The Corner Bar) to the Glee phenomenon, Lgbt-inclusive media is more prominent than ever before.

There are so many moments in entertainment that shaped Lgbt Hollywood forever. We offer several of those watershed events here. If your favorites didn’t make the list, let us know what you think are the greatest highlights in the comments below.

1971: Sunday Bloody Sunday shows first shame-free gay kiss

The British film about a bisexual man who is dating both a woman and man showed the first same-sex smooch without guilt.

1971: All in the Family bridges gay topics

In a benchmark episode, Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor) has to deal with his prejudices when he believes an old friend could be gay. The...

Jack Nicholson's is not the only outstanding performance in the darkly comic movie. Director Milos Forman drew sensitive yet hilarious turns from a cast with a rich range of facial tics

Why we love … movie computers … the quarry in Breaking Away … the dribbly kiss in Little Women

"I'm not just talking about my wife, I'm talking about my life! I'm not just talking about one person, I'm talking about everybody. I'm talking about form, I'm talking about content, I'm talking about inter-relationships! I'm talking about God, the devil, hell, heaven! Do you understand? Finally?!"

The intellectual, neurotic Harding (William Redfield) lets off steam during one of five "group therapy" scenes in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. It sparks a fascinating set of reactions from other characters – the squealing Cheswick (Sydney Lassick), the taunting, swivelled-eyed Taber (Christopher Lloyd), the stuttering Billy Bibbit (Brad Dourif), the ghoulish Fredrickson (Vincent Schiavelli), the grinning,...

Review James Hunt 1 Mar 2013 - 08:16

James remembered Arsenal Of Freedom as one of Tng's better efforts, but how does it fare on a closer look?

This review contains spoilers.

1.21 Arsenal of Freedom

The Enterprise heads to the planet Minos while looking for the recently disappeared USS Drake, which is commanded by Riker's old school-friend, Paul Rice. As they approach, Data explains that Minos was made famous for its sales of incredibly advanced weapon systems. Hmm, I wonder if that'll come in helpful later?

As they approach the planet, they find it devoid of intelligent life, but an automated sales pitch invites them to check out their new weapons. A "minimal" away team consisting of the second in command, Chief of Security and whatever Data is (Head of Exposition?) beam down to the planet, whereupon they encounter Riker's old friend, Paul Rice himself. Or at least, something pretending to be him.

Back in 1991, Eerie, Indiana premiered on NBC. It was created by Karl Schaefer and Jose Rivera, who had two tracks of mind in creating the series. One, to create a show for children that didn’t pander to children and secondly, to have a fun and scary show. And you know what?

They succeeded.

Eerie, Indiana takes place in the titular town. We first meet Marshall Teller on his paper route. He’s relocated from the dank, rotting Big Apple. He misses it. His father, Edgar is an inventor for a company in Eerie called “Things, Incorporated,” and his mother, Marilyn is a party planner despite having lax organizational skills. His sister, Syndi is a regular, normal teenage girl. Marshall is the odd one out in his family it seems. But he notices that something is amiss in this ‘burb. He sees an older, fatter Elvis on his route. He...

Starring Christopher McDonald, Vincent Schiavelli "Where terror is child's play." -- Welcome back, bidites, to "Obscura Macabro", the weird and wacky world of forgotten and overlooked horror gems. For our second installment, we'll be taking a look back at the 1990 film "Playroom", also known as "Schizo". (A quick bit of trivia about this picture: the story was written by none other than actor Jackie Earle Haley, who would go on to play…...

(Milos Forman, 1971, Park Circus, 18)

Milos Forman, the most gifted film-maker of the 1960s Czech New Wave, was in Paris when Soviet tanks rolled into Prague in 1968 and he stayed abroad. Before his second American feature film, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, swept the Oscars board in 1975 (the year he became an American citizen), he made this wonderful, rarely shown picture, taking the pulse of a deeply divided Us during Nixon's first term in the White House. It looks at the generation gap as experienced by a middle-class New York family, whose teenage daughter has run off with a musician. Buck Henry (satirist, screenwriter on The Graduate and Catch-22) plays the conventional father who discovers a new countercultural world while searching for her. Smartly edited and partly improvised, the movie is an affecting, funny, accurate time capsule and features a hilarious sequence about the Spfc (Society for the Parents of...

It’s quite possibly the weirdest sci-fi movie ever made, and features a great, eclectic cast. Jeff takes a look back at the classic Buckaroo Banzai…

It’s safe to say there are few movies out there like The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension, a film whose title alone announces its intention to diverge from the often prefabricated course of studio films (just as Banzai’s jetcar does in the film’s opening moments).

Based on the book by Earl Mac Rauch, and directed by Wd Richter, it’s clear that the early-to-mid 1980s were a good time for science fiction films to get made in the wake of the wild success of Star Wars and its ilk, which meant that some pretty weird and idiosyncratic ones trickled through as well (like some of Joe Dante’s work of the era).

Still, it’s a wonder the...

Rochester, NY - Ever wonder why schools today stink compared to decades ago? Every think tank moron has their dubious reasonings that appeases their corporate masters. But the truth is extraordinarily simple: Schools dumped their education films.

Do you remember those days when the gym teacher had to pad out health class by wheeling in the 16mm projector from the Av department? They’d thread up classic tales about your body, narcotics, driving safety and manners. Things which kids nowadays can’t seem to handle.

When the Vcr arrived in schools, the 16mm projector was quickly dumped as teaching tool.

Where did these classic films go? Many arrived at the city dump. However a few lucky tens of thousands found themselves on the racks of the Av Geeks Archive. This repository of cinematic education is overseen by Skip Elsheimer. He started collecting the films after I moved out of the infamous PineHaus.

Hey, who says Hollywood has cornered the market on remaking movies? Here’s a Japanese remake of the Patrick Swayze-Demi Moore 1990 movie “Ghost”. The Japanese re-telling switches things up a bit with the girl (Nanako Matsushima) getting gunned down in this one, while the man (Song Seung-heon) is left to pine for his beloved. Whoopi Goldberg’s comic psychic has been swapped with an elderly woman, and Vincent Schiavelli, the grouchy subway ghost who teaches our hero the ways of the force, or, how to kick a can when you’re dead, has been re-envisioned as a little girl. Nanami is a successful young entrepreneur and she has everything a woman could ask for—except the man of her dreams. On her birthday, she gets drunk and spends the night with a stranger, Jun-ho. Nanami feels he is the love of her life and they have a romantic wedding.

Dana Marschz (Steve Coogan) Hamlet II -- Drama: Who wouldn't want a drama teacher with enough courage to put on a production of Rock Me, Sexy Jesus, where Jesus uses a time machine to save Gertrude and Ophelia?

Mr. Furlong (Jon Stewart) The Faculty -- Science: It's kind of the perfect science teacher, if you're like me and you hate science. He's a parasite, so you're allowed to kill him, preferably with a pen to the eye.

Rosemary Cross (Olivia Williams) Rushmore -- Remedial Reading: She'll break your heart, and maybe mess around with your mentor, but she's very pretty to look at, and she's from Harvard.

Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling) Half Nelson -- History Teacher and Coach: Who wouldn't want a history teacher who could not only teach you about dialectics, but after class, he'll smoke a rock with you.

Mr. Kerber (Vincent Schiavelli) Better Off Dead -- Math:...

Gosh this is a nice set. You get a sturdy box, a deck of cards, a beautiful little 52 page hardback book detailing the production history and a a small manilla envelope, title Patient File containing headshots of the cast. Poster art on the same nice cardstock is included in theBluray box itself as well as a booklet with phtos and press clippings.

There's one Bluray disc containing the film and extras features, which are extensive. You get Completely Cuckoo," a fabulous feature length documentary featuring interviews with the author and an up-close and personal discussion with director Miloš Foremen (Amadeus, Valmont, People vs. Larry Flynt), producer Saul Zaentz (The English Patient, Amadeus) and members of the cast such as, Christopher Lloyd, Danny DeVito and Vincent Schiavelli.

The collection also includes an all new interview with producer Michael Douglas, a full-length commentary with Forman, Douglas and Zaentz, deleted scenes and the original trailer for the film.

‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest’ Ultimate Collector’s Edition: Blu-ray

Directed by: Milos Forman

Cast: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd

Running Time: 2 hr 13 mins

Rating: R

Due Out: September 14, 2010

Own it on Blu-ray

Buy On Amazon: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: Collector’s [Blu-ray]

Official Site: www.warnerblu.com

Plot: A nice rest in a state mental hospital beats a stretch in the pen, right? Randle P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson), a free-spirited con with lightning in his veins and glib on his tongue, fakes insanity and moves in with what he calls the “nuts.” Immediately, his contagious sense of disorder runs up against numbing routine. No way should guys pickled on sedatives shuffle around in bathrobes when the World Series is on. This means war! On one side is McMurphy. On the other is soft-spoken Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), among the most coldly monstrous villains in film history.

You can bring home one of the most celebrated films of all time home just in time for its 35th Anniversary in a brand new edition this September. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest will be released in a massive Ultimate Collector's Edition set on DVD and Blu-ray on September 7. The standard DVD set will be priced at $39.92 Srp and the Bd set will be priced at $49.99 Srp. Along with the special features, the sets will also come with collectible items such as playing cards, character cards, posters, pre-production correspondences and movie trivia as well. You can take a look at the cover art and special features below. The film stars Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher, who both received Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress for their performances in the film.

R.P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) is a misbehaved con who shirks authority and finds himself in an...

By Sean O’Connell

Hollywoodnews.com: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” Milos Forman’s Best Picture-winning black comedy from 1975, will receive a special anniversary release from Warner Home Video on Sept. 7, Arriving in an Ultimate Collector’s Edition DVD or Blu-ray loaded with more than four hours of bonus content.

The highlight of the set might be “Completely Cuckoo,” a making-of documentary that touts rare interviews with author Ken Kesey and a frank discussion with Forman, producer Saul Zaentz, and cast members Christopher Lloyd, Danny DeVito and Vincent Schiavelli.

The collection also includes an all new interview with producer Michael Douglas, a full-length commentary with Forman, Douglas and Zaentz, deleted scenes and the original trailer for the film. In addition to that bonus content, the 35th anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition will contain unique collectibles honoring the film and its legacy, such as playing cards, posters, character cards,...

Call them "cult classics." "Guilty pleasures." "Comfort movies." We all have a mental rolodex of flicks that may not be terribly popular but, for one reason or another, they resonate in a very special way. Maybe you saw it at the right moment. Maybe you just see gold where everyone else sees feces. Whatever the case, these are the special favorites that you keep stashed away for sick days. Here are some of ours.

From "Road House" to "Point Break," there's no shortage of highly watchable Patrick Swayze films on display, but the actor's most poignant work -- particularly given recent events -- is undoubtedly "Ghost," the story of a man who had to die to learn about life.

In the film, Swayze plays Sam Wheat, who is killed when he and his girlfriend Molly (Demi Moore) are robbed at gunpoint. Sam's soul lingers on earth, unable to communicate with...

Television matters. Who and what we see on our screens each week tells us a great deal about who and what is relevant in society, who has power, and who doesn’t. That’s why AfterElton.com pays such close attention to the shows that have gay characters and gay storylines, analyzing what each new character and plot twist says about the acceptance of gay and bisexual men in today’s world.

Television programming as we know it today came into existence approximately seventy years ago. However, it took thirty-five years for the first semi-regularly recurring gay character to appear, on The Corner Bar, an 1972 ABC show that lasted for fifteen episodes and featured Vincent Schiavelli as Peter Panama. Over the next several years, gay characters popped up on other short-lived shows including Hot L Baltimore and The Nancy Walker Show, but it wasn’t until 1977 and Soap that gay...

ROME -- Emanuele Crialese's Nuovomondo (The Golden Door), a period drama about a family of Sicilians seeking to immigrate to the United States, has been selected as Italy's candidate in the best foreign-language film race for the 2006 Academy Awards, while Daniel Burman's Derecho de Familia (Family Law) will represent Argentina. Nuovomondo was a success at the recent Venice International Film Festival, taking home the Silver Lion award as the festival's biggest revelation. The critically acclaimed film -- which has grossed about $1 million after two weeks in general release in Italy -- was largely cast with Sicilian stage actors. But it does feature Charlotte Gainsbourg as Lucia, a British woman who sneaks on a ship bound to New York from Palermo. There's also a cameo appearance by Vincent Schiavelli, who died last year shortly after filming wrapped. Crialese is best known for his 2002 film Respiro.

Character actor Vincent Schiavelli, best known for his role in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, has died of lung cancer. He was 57. Schiavelli, recognizable to movie fans around the globe for his hangdog looks, also starred in director Milos Forman's Amadeus and The People Vs. Larry Flint and blockbusters including Tomorrow Never Dies, Ghost and Batman Returns. The New York-born Schiavelli appeared in more than 150 film and TV productions, and also wrote three cookbooks. He died at his home in Generosa, Sicily, Monday and is survived by his wife Carol Mukhalian and two children.

A spunky attempt to explore the legacy left by writer Jack Kerouac, this mainly improvised feature shot on video doesn't succeed in adapting the writer's loose narrative style into a modern-day cinematic "On the Road". A buddy picture detailing the cross-country escapades of two disparate characters -- a budding young actor and a hard-boiled N.Y. cabdriver -- "American Saint" is too aimless for its own good. Still, it has some entertaining moments and engagingly offbeat performances by leads Kevin Corrigan and Vincent Schiavelli. Joseph M. Castelo's debut film was showcased recently at the Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) International Film Festival.

Corrigan plays Miles, a waiter at the Times Square Howard Johnson's who is still looking for his big acting break. He thinks he's found it when he reads about an upcoming Milos Forman film about Kerouac, with open auditions for the lead role to be held in two weeks in Los Angeles. All he has to do is get there, so he enlists the help of one of his regular customers, Charley (Schiavelli), who proudly claims to be driving the last Checker cab to be found in New York. Charley agrees to drive him to Los Angeles -- with the meter running, of course -- and the two set off.

Soon they are involved in a series of fairly undramatic misadventures that don't add up to much, with the often cliche-ridden dialogue failing to enliven the proceedings. Although some of the episodes are mildly amusing, such as Miles' stage fright at a poetry reading or his debating the price of a beer enema with a Vegas hooker, mostly the film plods along from one low-key scene to another, to enervating effect. The comic highlight occurs early on, with a scene in which Woody Harrelson plays himself to hilariously self-deprecating effect.

AMERICAN SAINT

Antidote Films

Director-screenwriter: Joseph M. Castelo

Executive producer: Michael Hausman

Producers: Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Scott Ferguson, Jonathan V. Hludzinski

Director of photography: Mark Petersson

Production designer: Wylie Griffin

Editor: Joel Hirsch

Music: Jim Dickinson

Color/stereo

Cast:

Miles Hotonian: Kevin Corrigan

Charley Grebbini: Vincent Schiavelli

Daphne: Bianca Bakija

Running time -- 88 minutes

No MPAA rating...

A spunky attempt to explore the legacy left by writer Jack Kerouac, this mainly improvised feature shot on video doesn't succeed in adapting the writer's loose narrative style into a modern-day cinematic "On the Road". A buddy picture detailing the cross-country escapades of two disparate characters -- a budding young actor and a hard-boiled N.Y. cabdriver -- "American Saint" is too aimless for its own good. Still, it has some entertaining moments and engagingly offbeat performances by leads Kevin Corrigan and Vincent Schiavelli. Joseph M. Castelo's debut film was showcased recently at the Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) International Film Festival.

Corrigan plays Miles, a waiter at the Times Square Howard Johnson's who is still looking for his big acting break. He thinks he's found it when he reads about an upcoming Milos Forman film about Kerouac, with open auditions for the lead role to be held in two weeks in Los Angeles. All he has to do is get there, so he enlists the help of one of his regular customers, Charley (Schiavelli), who proudly claims to be driving the last Checker cab to be found in New York. Charley agrees to drive him to Los Angeles -- with the meter running, of course -- and the two set off.

Soon they are involved in a series of fairly undramatic misadventures that don't add up to much, with the often cliche-ridden dialogue failing to enliven the proceedings. Although some of the episodes are mildly amusing, such as Miles' stage fright at a poetry reading or his debating the price of a beer enema with a Vegas hooker, mostly the film plods along from one low-key scene to another, to enervating effect. The comic highlight occurs early on, with a scene in which Woody Harrelson plays himself to hilariously self-deprecating effect.

AMERICAN SAINT

Antidote Films

Director-screenwriter: Joseph M. Castelo

Executive producer: Michael Hausman

Producers: Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Scott Ferguson, Jonathan V. Hludzinski

Director of photography: Mark Petersson

Production designer: Wylie Griffin

Editor: Joel Hirsch

Music: Jim Dickinson

Color/stereo

Cast:

Miles Hotonian: Kevin Corrigan

Charley Grebbini: Vincent Schiavelli

Daphne: Bianca Bakija

Running time -- 88 minutes

No MPAA rating...

Poor James Bond.

It's bad enough that the end of the Cold War has robbed him of some of his most reliable and colorful adversaries.

But after a year of formidable competition from high-octane action entries such as "Face/ Off" and "Air Force One", the pressure is on for old 007 to deliver more than a souped-up car and a bevy of beauties.

Unfortunately, after showing promising signs of rejuvenation with Pierce Brosnan and 1995's "GoldenEye", the world's most durable movie franchise is in serious need of a shot of adrenaline if "Tomorrow Never Dies" is to prove an accurate title.

Even by Bondian standards, this 18th entry (or 19th if you count Warner Bros.' "Never Say Never Again") is a dull, draggy disappointment, hampered by a weak script and uninspired, connect-the-dots direction.

While devoted die-hards might generate respectable opening- weekend numbers, ultimately United Artists is looking at a low interest-bearing Bond issue that will leave audiences neither shaken nor stirred.

The first signs of trouble appear early on, when the traditionally turbo-charged prologue turns out to be curiously devoid of the usual high-tension stunts or even breathtaking vistas.

Then Bruce Feirstein's script fails to deliver on its workable premise: Jonathan Pryce plays power-crazed media baron Elliot Carver (imagine a maniacal Rupert Murdoch), who, determined to launch his 24-hour satellite news service with a splash, ensures a scoop by orchestrating a naval war between Great Britain and China.

Of course it's up to Bond (Brosnan) to stop him with a little ill-fated assistance from Carver's wife and once-upon-a-time Bond squeeze, Paris (Teri Hatcher), and a more successful subsequent alliance with Chinese intelligence agent Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh).

Lacking the necessary tone-setting kick start, the picture seems to take forever to move into high gear. And although it is not without a couple of vintage Bond sequences -- one extended chase scene has 007 navigating his brand-spanking-new BMW 750 from the back seat with a Remote Control touchpad -- Roger Spottiswoode's fragmented direction lacks the necessary driving momentum.

You can't really put the blame on Brosnan, who proved himself an agreeable Bond presence the last time out. He's game but he simply hasn't been issued much in the way of a personality by screenwriter Feirstein. Those requisite groaner double-entendres hit a new level of lameness here that would make Beavis & Butt-head wince.

The usually dependable Pryce, meanwhile, in an apparent aversion to scenery-chewing, blandly underplays his villain. While that may have been a noble gesture elsewhere, it's a definite no-no for Bond bad guys.

Only Asian action star Yeoh possesses a real spark. Unfortunately, she only really appears on the scene in the second hour. Should Brosnan opt out of his contract, the Broccoli family should seriously consider her as a potential Jane Bond.

Across-the-board tech credits are solid if not spectacular. Ironically, those Bond songs, which have been somewhat of a disappointment in recent installments, rediscover their groove this time out, with Sheryl Crow delivering an effective "Tomorrow Never Dies" over the opening credits, while k.d. lang neatly captures the sultry essence of Shirley Bassey in the credit-closing "Surrender".

TOMORROW NEVER DIES

MGM

A United Artists release

An Albert R. Broccoli's Eon Productions Ltd. presentation

Director: Roger Spottiswoode

Producers: Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli

Screenwriter: Bruce Feirstein

Director of photography: Robert Elswit

Production designer: Allan Cameron

Editors: Dominique Fortin,

Michel Arcand

Costume designer: Lindy Hemming

Special effects supervisor: Chris Corbould

Music: David Arnold

Casting: Debbie McWilliams

Color/stereo

Cast:

James Bond: Pierce Brosnan

Elliot Carver: Jonathan Pryce

Wai Lin: Michelle Yeoh

Paris Carver: Teri Hatcher

Henry Gupta: Ricky Jay

Stamper: Gotz Otto

Wade: Joe Don Baker

Dr. Kaufman: Vincent Schiavelli

M: Judi Dench

Q: Desmond Llewelyn

Running time -- 119 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13...

NEW YORK -- Making a long-overdue return to filmmaking, director Milos Forman scores a triumph with this bizarre biopic. One of the funniest and most provocative films of the year, "The People vs. Larry Flynt" harks back to "Lenny" in its depiction of an outrageous defender of the First Amendment battling the forces of censorship and his own self-destructiveness.

The difference is that Flynt ultimately wins in the end, and his story, while filled with tragic elements, is a whole lot funnier. Here is a big studio film that recalls the 1970s, both in its subject matter and in its willingness to take risks. After its world premiere at the New York Film Festival, it will be released this fall by Columbia. No doubt, it will reap scads of publicity.

Flynt, the outrageous publisher of one of the most reviled porno publications in history, Hustler magazine, is an unlikely hero for a movie, but screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who mined similarly strange territory in "Ed Wood", have done a superb job in telling his story without resorting to glorification or ridicule. Although necessarily episodic in its storytelling, the screenplay, which mostly stays true to the facts, cannily uses as its main focus the legal battle between Flynt and the Rev. Jerry Falwell that resulted in a victory for the publisher in the Supreme Court.

Woody Harrelson does his best screen work to date in the central role, which takes advantage of the actor's natural tendency for comic dangerousness. He is supported by an extremely interesting cast, including Courtney Love, who fairly burns up the screen as Flynt's stripper wife Althea; Edward Norton, excellent as Flynt's long-suffering attorney; James Cromwell as financier Charles Keating; and even real-life Democratic political consultant James Carville as prosecutor Simon Leis.

Brett Harrelson, Woody's brother, does an effective job playing Flynt's brother Larry, and Donna Hanover (the wife of New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani) shows up as Ruth Carter Stapleton, Jimmy Carter's evangelist sister. Among those playing Flynt's cronies are several actors specializing in weirdness, including Crispin Glover and Vincent Schiavelli. Flynt himself plays a cameo, as the judge who sentenced him to 25 years.

The picture details Flynt's life, from his beginnings as a small-time strip-club owner with a propensity for bedding his employees to his starting up Hustler as a working man's alternative to the reigning sex magazine of the time, Playboy. This results in a series of legal and courtroom battles, many of which are played for laughs: Reacting to the judge's decision to lock him up, Flynt says incredulously, "Twenty-five years? All I'm guilty of is bad taste!"

The picture naturally takes a darker tone after Flynt is shot and rendered paralyzed below the waist by a would-be assassin's bullet. (The shooter was never captured.) He sinks into a morass of pain, drug addiction and ever-worsening legal and financial problems. In his later years, his mental state worsens and his increasingly bizarre behavior lands him in a mental hospital.

He bounces back to successfully fight the lawsuit filed against him by Falwell, who sued because of a liquor ad parody describing him as having had sex with his mother.

The film's mostly sympathetic tone doesn't ignore the fact that both Flynt and his magazine could be described as little better than sleazy, nor does it shy away from depicting his wanton and hedonistic lifestyle. But it also convincingly makes the argument that, whatever one may think of this controversial figure, he was an important if unlikely hero in the battle for freedom of speech.

The film also works as a compelling romance, detailing Larry and Althea's highly unconventional but, as depicted here, loving (if not monogamous) relationship. Harrelson and Love show great chemistry -- both of them radiate outrageousness -- and the latter, in her biggest screen role yet, is good enough to merit serious Oscar consideration.

In fact, if the Academy members can handle the controversial material, the film as a whole should score big with nominations. Forman's direction handles the challenging and difficult material with skill and ease, beautifully blending the tragic with the farcical. And the production design and costumes re-create the glory days of the 1970s in all their tacky splendor.

THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT

A Columbia Pictures release

Columbia Pictures, Phoenix Pictures, Ixtlan Prods.

Director:Milos Forman

Producers:Oliver Stone, Janet Yang, Michael Hausman

Screenplay:Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski

Photography:Philippe Rousselot

Editor:Christopher Tellefsen

Production designer:Patrizia Von Brandenstein

Color/stereo

Cast:

Larry Flynt:Woody Harrelson

Althea Leasure Flynt:Courtney Love

Alan Isaacman:Edward Norton

Ruth Carter Stapleton:Donna Hanover

Jimmy Flynt:Brett Harrelson

Rev. Jerry Falwell:Richard Paul

Chester:Vincent Schiavelli

Arlo:Crispin Glover

Milo:Miles Chapin

Charles Keating:James Cromwell

Simon Leis:James Carville

Running time -- 129 minutes

MPAA rating: R...