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A fun piece of trivia: one of J.J. Abrams' first professional gigs was writing the music for Don Dohler's 1982 horror cheapie "Nightbeast." Dohler, as B-movie fans might know, is the creative mind behind "The Alien Factor" and "Galaxy Invader," movies that were filmed mostly in the woods. Abrams has since become one of the preeminent makers of big-budget mainstream blockbusters, so it's fun to picture him as a teen handing over tapes to a hard-working schlockmeister like Dohler.

Abrams stuck with it, though, and eventually sold a film treatment to screenwriter Paul Mazursky when he was still in college. That treatment became Arthur Hiller's 1990 comedy "Taking Care of Business" with Jim Belushi. Abrams continued to rise through the ranks of Tinseltown from there, penning the scripts for films like "Regarding Henry," "Forever Young," and, uh, "Gone Fishin'." By the early 2000s, Abrams had enough clout to launch...

Aptly named for the acidic smell of deteriorating film, Vinegar Syndrome made an auspicious debut in 2013 with its inaugural release, The Lost Films of Herschell Gordon Lewis. In the decade since, they have unearthed, restored, and distributed hundreds of cult, exploitation, horror, action, and adult films.

Popping in a new Vinegar Syndrome disc is a bit like cinematic Russian roulette. It’s always interesting, but you never know if you’re going to get an obscure masterpiece, a campy B-movie, a so-bad-it’s-good slice of fun, or a dud. The unknown is half the fun, and discovering those diamonds in the rough makes it worthwhile.

In celebration of their anniversary, I’m highlighting 10 hidden gems from Vinegar Syndrome’s first 10 years.

To narrow the choices, I’m ignoring the heavy hitters like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 and The Amityville Horror, box sets like Forgotten Gialli and Home Grown Horrors,...

Sincerity: it’s not always in fashion, and is often pushed aside in favor of cynicism and snide commentary. You know, the easy route—a lack of belief and faith in what one is presenting. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the entertainment industry, where artistry can be overtaken by the bottom line in a quest for first place at the box office. And then you had people like Don Dohler, who created films for the sake of creating them, in order to capture the joy of being a kid in a theater and transported to another time and place. Such is the case with his magnum opus Nightbeast (1982), a spectacular no-budget wonder that encapsulates everything wonderful about the movies, now given fresh life through a terrific new Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

Sure, I’m hyperbolin,’ but Nightbeast has everything you could want in a sci-fi/horror/action thriller:...

Vinegar Syndrome‘s Halfway to Black Friday/Memorial Day sale is now live through the long weekend, and in addition to sales, a handful of “secret releases” have also been unleashed! Here’s the full rundown for all the new releases: First up, Don Dohler’s gore filled regional sci-fi/horror cult classic, Nightbeast, arrives on Blu-ray in a stunning […]...

After languishing in obscurity for more than 20 years, outsider sci-fi film and Canadian cult classic Phobe: The Xenophobic Experiments is making its way to home video, thanks to Severin films and its Intervision Picture Corp. label.

Shot on video in 1994, Phobe was directed by Erica Benedikty, a volunteer-turned-employee at Niagra, Ontario’s cable access station. “I got approved to do the movie, and then I got hired part-time as the master control operator,” Benedikty explained to The A.V. Club. “In my free time I was working on the movie. Making the movie led to [full-time] employment [at the station], but once the employment become full time, I stopped making the movie.”

The film itself a gloriously Diy riff on The Terminator and Predator, and showcases every bit of its $250 budget. With Phobe, Benedikty throws her hat in the ring as Canada’s answer to Don Dohler ...

News that Don Dohler’s cult favorite The Alien Factor is arriving on Blu-ray next week somehow slipped through the cracks amid the flood of recent b-movies to Blu announcements of late. Fred Olen Ray’s Retormedia is behind this limited edition… Continue Reading →

The post Don Dohler’s The Alien Factor Invading Blu-ray Any Day Now appeared first on Dread Central.

Nightbeast

At ten o’clock on the evening of Saturday 26 July, as the lights dimmed inside a 159-seat auditorium inside Wrocław’s nine-screen Kino Nowe Horyzonty, the resounding ambience consisted of chatter, cheers, the clatter of glass bottles and that inimitable sea of punchy hisses as the capacity audience cracked open one beer can after another.

They’d come for a triple bill: Amir Shervan’s Samurai Cop (1989), Don Dohler’s Nightbeast (1982) and Arizal’s American Hunter (1990). Numbers had depleted and decibels had doubled by the time the lights came back on at around quarter-to-three the next morning. The marathon formed part of ‘Midnight Madness: VHS’, the late-night retrospective at New Horizons, western Poland’s excellent film festival, whose annual program also boasts some of the most dependable arthouse titles from the previous twelve months.

Had anybody been observing the scene of ordered anarchy that night, they may have...

Prepare to be corrupted and depraved once more as Nucleus Films releases the sequel to the definitive guide to the Video Nasties phenomenon – the most extraordinary and scandalous era in the history of British film. Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide Part 2, a three-disc collector’s edition box set, is being released on DVD on July 14th 2014, to tie in with the 30th Anniversary of the Video Recordings Act 1984.

For the first time ever on DVD, all 82 films that fell foul of the Director of Public Prosecutions “Section 3” list are trailer-featured with specially filmed intros for each title, alongside a brand new documentary – Video Nasties: Draconian Days (review), directed by Jake West.

And to celebrate the release, Film4 FrightFest is hosting a special event – the world exclusive London Premiere of the finalised unseen extended 97 minute cut of Video Nasties: Draconian Days at The Prince Charles Cinema on Thurs 3 July, 8.30pm. The...

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Are you familiar with the three B’s? Don’t fret if you aren’t; honest mistake. Most wouldn’t know what they stood for unless they had a penchant for skin-crawling content or a passionate knowledge of all things horror and science-fiction related. Don Dohler was an archetypal filmmaker for the sacred formula of B’s as he committed his life to creating and producing such movies as Nightbeast, Fiend and who can forget Alien Factor 2: The Alien Rampage? While such a coagulated patrimony might be brushed aside by most, his influence and honest prescription for a horror film’s health has been everlasting. And those three little B’s? Blood, boobs and beasts. Such an ideal has been adopted by countless films and now, V/H/S/2 continues the trend with wreckless abandon. . . And it’s all the better for it.

Last year,...

J.J. Abrams is reportedly set to direct the new Star Wars, but who is this super force in Hollywood? Here are five facts about the acclaimed 46-year-old movie man:

5. Though he's most known for his sci-fi shows and films, Abrams started out co-creating the television series Felicity (1998–2002), starring Keri Russell. He also composed the music for the opening credits.

4. Other TV shows Abrams has had his hands in include: Alias (2001–2006), Lost (2004–2010), Fringe (2008–2013), Undercovers (2010), Person of Interest (2011–present), Alcatraz (2012) and Revolution (2012–present).

3. Abrams first job in the biz was reportedly when he was 16 when he wrote the music for Don Dohler's film Nightbeast.

2. Abrams got into the family business. He is the son of television producer Gerald W. Abrams and executive producer Carol Abrams. His sister is screenwriter Tracy Rosen.

1. He founded the production company Bad Robot that produces many of his TV shows.

Do you think Abrams is the right man for the Star Wars job?...

It's been several months since we've gotten an update on Sam Qualiana's Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast, but now the film has its premiere screening scheduled, a festival date in the works, and a brand new trailer.

From the Press Release:

Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast, written and directed by 26-year-old Sam Qualiana in Lockport, New York, will have its world premiere at Dipson’s Amherst Theater in Buffalo, New York, on Tuesday, April 10th, at 7:00 pm; the premiere will be open to the paying public. Two nights later, on Thursday, April 12th, at 7:30 pm, the film will play at The Screening Room Cinema Café in Williamsville, New York. On Saturday, May 12th, it will have its film festival premiere at the South Bronx Film Festival.

Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast is a creature feature which details the exploits of a prehistoric shark, freed by an earthquake,...

We're going back a few years this week for Motion Picture Purgatory, all the way to 1985 and Don Dohler's Galaxy Invader. One review on Amazon says, "Galaxy Invader ought to come with complementary clothespins because this is one heaping pile of cinematic cow patty." Read on to see if Trembles agrees.

Synopsis:

An alien is hunted by a gang of drunken hillbillies who saw him crash-land his spaceship.

Written and directed by Don Dohler (with additional story concepts provided by Anne Frith and David Donoho), Galaxy Invader stars Richard Ruxton, Faye Tilles and George Stover.

“D’oh!” is for Dohler!

Discuss Motion Picture Purgatory in the comments section below!

Way before J.J. Abrams was making headlines and box office films such as Super 8, Star Trek, Let Me In and Cloverfield; there was a Troma film entitled Nightbeast. In fact at the young age of 16 in 1982 J.J. Abrams received his first movie credit with Nightbeast a Troma film directed by Don Dohler and stared Tom Griffith, Jamie Zemarel and Karin Kardian. It was that same year J.J. Abrams and his good friend Matt Reeves (later they went on to direct Cloverfield and Let Me In) were contacted by Steven Spielberg to repair some Super 8 films that Spielberg had made as a child.

Think back to the comedies of the 1990's like Clueless, Reality Bites, Clerks, etc. They had edge. They had bite. They captured the spirit and the essence of the Gen X slacker mentality to the tee. This period of film has been looked upon by fans fondly. There have been films that have tried to capture the essence and the spirit of these films, but too often do these films come across as feeling forced and labored. Enter Washington D.C. based actor Daniel Ross of Ninjas vs. Vampires (starring: Jay Saunders, Cory Okouchi, Carla Okouchi, Devon Marie Burt, Melissa McConnell, P.J. Megaw, Elizabeth Taylor and Kurt Skarstedt and directed by Justine Timpane). This aspiring up and coming presence captures the mentality of the actors of that period and of those films through his performances with such ease and fluidity. Ninjas Vs. Vampires, his latest film, also serves as the perfect showcase for Daniel Ross,...

Filmmaker / actor Joe Ripple got a unique start in independent films. He was cast as an actor in a local film, being directed by the late Don Dohler. Joe was in the local police department at the time, and they had several police related scenes that were written into the script. After his part was completed, Joe asked Don if I could stay around and help with those scenes. After the film was wrapped, Don approached Jim about directing. The two made five films together before he passed in December of 2006. The Baltimore County native knows that the top three film categories that are usually...

It's been ridiculed everywhere, but James Nguyen's labour of love is anti-mainstream film-making at its most convincing

The question "What movies are you looking forward to?" is common enough in chats about film, but I've struggled with it this year. Over the past couple of months, however, I've found the answer: Birdemic: Shock And Terror.

Birdemic is already being hailed as one of the worst films ever made: the acting, dialogue, special effects, pretty much everything about it has been held up to ridicule. But while I am sure I'll be giggling along with the rest of the audience at the movie's shortcomings, that's not why I'm looking forward to it. I like what it represents. It's a truly independent production in times when "indie film" means as much as "indie music" – a tag, a label far removed from its original meaning; all the major studios have long had their fake indie imprints.

Kevin Kangas, writer and director of the Fear Of Clowns movies, got in touch with news and a couple of exclusive photos (see them below) from his latest feature, Bounty. The basic premise is simple, Kangas tells us: “What if Dog the Bounty Hunter was in a horror film?

“It’s about a team of seasoned bounty hunters on the trail of a man who appears to be a serial killer, but the truth is much worse,” he continues. “It’s a strange movie, and I’ve been pretty vague about it because I don’t want people going in knowing very much. But fans of horror who are also into Cops and Dog The Bounty Hunter—I’m one of them—will probably enjoy it. Like my other films, Bounty was shot entirely in Maryland, primarily in Glen Burnie and Baltimore, and it stars cage-fighter-turned-actor Tom Proctor, Neil Conway,...

J.J. Abrams warps Time at will. Past, present, and future coexist as a kind of fluid that cannot be contained. The camera jumps back and forth in time. Characters age and grow younger again. Time itself accelerates, then slows. "It's intriguing to play with exactly when you learn elements in a story," says the Emmy-winning writer-director-producer, referring to Lost, his biggest hit on the small screen. "It engages audience members in a puzzle where they begin to question everything. It makes them look for clues in what they're watching in a way traditional narrative doesn't."

This temporal relativity allows Abrams to create forms of entertainment more time-bound directors cannot. And it is increasingly not only a stylistic signature, but also an added bit of leverage in the marketplace. ("We are thrilled to be in business with him," says Brad Grey, Paramount's chairman and CEO. "Bad Robot was one of the...

The work of filmmaker Don Dohler is, on the surface, pretty forgettable for anyone whose expectations have been framed by watching regular studio movies. But if you’ve ever tried your hand at movie making in any capacity, or just have an open heart to fan made films Dohler emerges as a fascinating character who deserves more recognition than he ‘s received in an industry known for hyping whatever comes along that has blood, boobs and beasts in it.

After a near death experience a young Dohler decided to do what he’d always dreamed of doing. The resultant Diy film magazine, titled Cinemagic, became a beacon for dozens of now industry professionals around the world showcasing basic filmmaking info and providing a format for the sharing of special effects secrets long before computers became part of the movie making mix.

As I have recently become an avid horror convention attendee, I have met some of the nicest and most compassionate people that you could come across in this day-in-age. Such emotions can be derived from recently learning about the brilliance of a non-profit organization, “Scares that Care!”; a scary caring gift to the horror community and humanity.

Developed from horror guru, Joe Ripple, this organization has been aiding sick children with donated money from us, the horror fans! A former U.S. Army soldier and a retired police officer, Ripple has directed six horror features to date with his company Timewarp Films. Besides this grandiose venture in horror, Ripple is also the head of security at the annual Horrorfind Weekend Convention in Baltimore, MD. Additional horror credits include moderation at www.horrortalk.com and volunteering at the haunted house, "The Cox's Point Haunted Mansion" in Essex, Maryland. Having numerous ties in the horror community,...

Few films at Ff draw an even larger crowd for their second screening, but the response to the first show of Blood Boobs And Beast was so strong that the following show was absolutely packed.

The documentary tells the tale of unjustly overlooked shoestring scifi/horror filmmaker Don Dohler, a Baltimore family man who spent decades making some of the most innovative and entertaining creature features the world has never seen. Documentarian John Paul Kinhart captured the drive, respectability and uniqueness of Dohler in Bb&B, and the audience of reacted with a huge amount of interest and emotion despite the fact that 99% of them had never heard of the guy before.

The fact is: it's a great film about a great filmmaker, and the DVD is being released as I type this. If you haven't seen this movie, buy it, rent it or buy it twice.

Here's the film's website,...

Last week, Fangoria and Troma gave you a chance to win Blood, Boobs & Beast on DVD before it arrives in stores. Were you one of the lucky readers? Check the winners list after the cut!

Congratulations to:

Julie Lawrence - Beaufort, Nc Laura Pruett - Brownwood, TX Steven Muir - Bellevue, Wa Dan Komoda - East Windsor, NJ Gary L. Watts - Attica, Ks Thanks to everyone for entering!

Blood, Boobs & Beast (on DVD February 24) tells the compelling story of Don Dohler, whose movies have been called everything from "oddly brilliant" to "some of the worst films of all time." The documentary also features interviews with Lost creator J.J. Abrams, FX artist Tom Savini (Dawn Of The Dead), FX artist Tom Sullivan (Evil Dead) and Toxic Avenger creator/Troma lord Lloyd Kaufman.

The 2-disc DVD includes the feature-length Bb&B documentary, Dohler's 1983 film Nightbeast (which featured a J.J. Abrams-composed...

On February 24, 2009, Troma Entertainment will release John Kinhart's acclaimed Don Dohler documentary Blood, Boobs & Beast (see an exclusive clip here) on special edition DVD. In celebration of the upcoming release, Fangoria and Troma are giving away five copies of the DVD!

Blood, Boobs & Beast tells the compelling story of Don Dohler, whose movies have been called everything from "oddly brilliant" to "some of the worst films of all time." The documentary also features interviews with Lost creator J.J. Abrams, FX artist Tom Savini (Dawn Of The Dead), FX artist Tom Sullivan (Evil Dead) and Toxic Avenger creator/Troma lord Lloyd Kaufman.

The 2-disc DVD includes the feature-length Bb&B documentary, Dohler's 1983 film Nightbeast (which featured a J.J. Abrams-composed score for a sex scene in his first movie-biz gig) as well as audio commentaries, deleted scenes and trailers.

Want To Win A Copy? Send an email to bloodboobs@fangoriaonline.com with your name,...

On February 24, 2009, Troma Entertainment will release John Kinhart's acclaimed Don Dohler documentary Blood, Boobs & Beast (see previous item here) on special edition DVD. In celebration of the upcoming release, John hooked Fango up with a very appropriate exclusive clip from the film. See it after the jump.

Blood, Boobs & Beast tells the compelling story of Don Dohler, whose movies have been called everything from "oddly brilliant" to "some of the worst films of all time." The documentary also features interviews with Lost creator J.J. Abrams, FX artist Tom Savini (Dawn Of The Dead), FX artist Tom Sullivan (Evil Dead) and Toxic Avenger creator/Troma lord Lloyd Kaufman.

The 2-disc DVD includes the feature-length Bb&B documentary, Dohler's 1983 film Nightbeast (which featured a J.J. Abrams-composed score for a sex scene in his first movie-biz gig) as well as audio commentaries, deleted scenes and trailers.

In the exclusive clip presented below,...

You may have heard about the wonderful documentary Blood, Boobs & Beast on various horror and indie film websites over the past year or so about the career of independent horror filmmaker Don Dohler. The doc is finally on its way to DVD courtesy of Troma, and it'll come complete with what is arguably Dohler's most famous film, Night Beast.

Making Don Dohler the subject of a documentary even struck me as an odd choice and I'd previously heard of the man, but if you've read my review of Blood, Boobs & Beast (review here) you'll realize just how interesting, and even a bit sad, his story proves to be even for those unfamiliar with his films, such as Night Beast and The Alien Factor. Dohler has also inspired artists and filmmakers such as Robert Crumb (Fritz the Cat), J.J. Abrams (creator of TV show "Lost") and Art Speigelman (Maus) with his...

Greetings from Tromaville!

I don’t get it, I just don’t get it. I’m stunned, shocked, staggered. For the first time in my highly-celebrated and sexy 40-year career, I’m flabbergasted! Where to begin? Where to start? Well, let’s rewind to three weeks from last Friday. I was visiting the local movie theatre in hopes of writing a 2-page spread on High School Musical 3 for Tiger Beat Magazine. Thirty minutes into the Zach Efron tour-de-force, I was thrown out after learning that you can’t sing along to movie musicals in a public place…wearing nothing but a top hat. Live and learn, I guess. But, after wandering around the hollow halls of the chain theatre for the better part of an hour, I found myself sitting in on a screening of the latest instalment of the Saw films. Which leads me to the subject of this...

Filmmaker John Kinhart just gave Fangoria the heads-up that his acclaimed documentary Blood, Boobs & Beast will be released on DVD on February 24, 2009 via Troma Entertainment.

Blood, Boobs & Beast tells the compelling story of Don Dohler, whose movies have been called everything from "oddly brilliant" to "some of the worst films of all time." The documentary also features interviews with Lost creator J.J. Abrams, FX artist Tom Savini (Dawn Of The Dead), FX artist Tom Sullivan (Evil Dead) and Toxic Avenger creator/Troma lord Lloyd Kaufman.

The 2-disc DVD includes the feature-length Bb&B documentary, Dohler's 1983 film Nightbeast (which featured a J.J. Abrams-composed score for a sex scene in his first movie-biz gig) as well as audio commentaries, deleted scenes and trailers.

For full details on the film, check out the trailer below, then hit the Official Site, or pre-order yours by clicking here.

Trailers have popped up recently for three new creature features: the Devon Sawa-starring Creature of Darkness, the remake of Attack of the Giant Leeches, and the extraterrestrial battle royal Alien Grey Area-x. Wanna take a look see?

Let's start with the Creature of Darkness, the monster movie starring Devon Sawa I first wrote about back in March. Fangoria is hosting the exclusive trailer for the fright flick about a group of friends in the woods being hunted by a monstrous being known as "The Catcher" that's been haunting Sawa's dreams. I harken back to that Don Dohler documentary Blood, Boobs, & Beast (review) that was named so after Dohler's mantra about the three things needed to help sell your monster movie. Indeed, Creature of Darkness looks to deliver plenty of blood, quite a few boobs, and a rather cool looking beast. Joe Bob says check it out.

Then there's the...