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Ricou Browning, who took to the water as the menacing Gill-Man in the Creature From the Black Lagoon and as the creative force behind the original Flipper movie and TV show, has died. He was 93.

Browning died Monday of natural causes at his home in Southwest Ranches, Florida, his daughter Kim Browning told The Hollywood Reporter. “He had a fabulous career in the film industry, providing wonderful entertainment for past and future generations,” she said.

The Florida native also served as a stuntman on Richard Fleischer’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), doubled for Jerry Lewis in Don’t Give Up the Ship (1959) and “played all the bad guys in [TV’s] Sea Hunt,” he said in a 2013 interview.

Plus, Browning directed the harpoon-filled fight in Thunderball (1965), another underwater scene in Never Say Never Again (1983) and the hilarious Jaws-inspired candy bar-in-the-pool sequence in Caddyshack (1980).

Browning, who said he could routinely hold his...

"History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into d ifferent and unexpected images."

― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

Generations included Martin Luther King Jr.

in its opening sequence.1968: Just after 6 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot while standing on the balcony outside his second-story room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The civil rights leader was in Memphis to support a sanitation workers' strike and was on his way to dinner when a bullet struck him in the jaw and severed his spinal cord. King was pronounced dead after his arrival at a Memphis hospital.

"All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."

― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

Generations included Martin Luther King Jr.

in its opening sequence.1968: Just after 6 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot while standing on the balcony outside his second-story room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The civil rights leader was in Memphis to support a sanitation workers' strike and was on his way to dinner when a bullet struck him...

Back in 1964 a lot of people still thought dolphins were fish, but by the time this TV show was finished, we all knew that our happy undersea friend was smarter than the average bear and lives in a world full of wonder. Ivan Tors’ grandly successful Florida-shot family show kept a lot of seagoing movie veterans in green seaweed, including both original ‘Creature’ Gill Men.

Flipper, Season One

Blu-ray

Olive Films

1964-65 / Color / 1:33 flat TV / 780 min. / Street Date August 29, 2017 / available through the Olive Films website / 39.95

Starring: Brian Kelly, Luke Halpin, Tommy Norden.

Cinematography: Clifford H. Poland Jr., Lamar Boren

Original Music: Henry Vars, song by

Written by: Jack Cowden, Ricou Browning, Peter L. Dixon, Laird Koenig, Stanley H. Silverman, Orville H. Hampton, Lee Erwin, Art Arthur, Jess Carneol, Key Lenard, Ivan Tors, Alan Caillou, Arthur Richards, Robert Sabaroff.

Produced by Ivan Tors, Ricou Browning, Leon Benson, Andrew Marton

Directed by: Ricou Browning,...

In 1975, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws made theatergoers scared to swim in the ocean. Two years later, another movie made viewers wary of the sea: the Nazi zombies in Ken Wiederhorn’s Shock Waves. It’s been playing at select theaters ahead of its Blu-ray release and we have details on a special screening of Shock Waves taking place next Monday night at Brooklyn’s Nitehawk Cinema:

“Shock Waves (1977, Ken Wiederhorn, 90 mins)

Monday, November 24, 9:30pm

Price: $16

Nitehawk plunges into the deep end of horror with a screening of a new restoration of the water-logged zombie flick Shock Waves. Director Ken Wiederhorn will be here for a Q&A after the film moderated by Fangoria’s Sam Zimmerman.

Remember that episode of Gilligan’s Island where the crew of the Minnow met up with an old SS scientist who was once in charge of a squad of unstoppable, underwater Nazi zombies?...

Ken Wiederhorn’s Shock Waves, one of my favorite cult horror movies from the ’70s, is heading to Blu-ray thanks to Blue Underground, but it has also been announced that the movie is getting a limited theatrical release and we have all the details:

“One of the great horror “sleepers” of the 1970s, Shock Waves stars the legendary Peter Cushing (Star Wars, Horror Of Dracula) and John Carradine (The Howling, The Sentinel)

Co-starring Brooke Adams (The Dead Zone, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers) and Luke Halpin (Flipper, Island Of The Lost)

Confirmed theaters and dates, with additional cities coming soon. Special guest appearances Tba!

10/31 – 11/6: Plaza Theatre, Atlanta Ga

11/14 & 11/15: Hi-Pointe Theatre, St. Louis, Mo

11/14 & 11/15: Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline, Ma (Ken Wiederhorn In-Person 11/14)

11/17: Alamo Drafthouse Vintage Park, Houston, TX

11/21 & 11/22: Music Box Theatre, Chicago, Il

11/24: Nitehawk Cinema, Brooklyn, NY

(Blu-ray release event! Screening and After-party hosted by...

With the arrival of Ken Wiederhorn's Shock Waves on Blu-ray, distributor Blue Underground is bringing the '70s horror film back to the big screen to celebrate its 40th anniversary. It is doing so with a brand-new Dcp and you'll find a complete breakdown of theater listings below.

Starring Peter Cushing, Brooke Adams and Luke Halpin, the film is pre-dates films like Dead Snow and Frankenstein's Army, offering horror fans Nazi zombie terror.

The post Blue Underground Brings Shock Waves Back to Theaters! appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

In 1975, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws made theatergoers scared to swim in the ocean. Two years later, another movie made viewers wary of the sea: the Nazi zombies in Ken Wiederhorn’s Shock Waves. Like the antagonist of Jaws, the Nazi zombies stalk and kill humans, and fans of this cult classic can soon see these creepy soldiers in high definition with Blue Underground’s upcoming Blu-ray release of Shock Waves.

Coming to Blu-ray and DVD on November 25th and available to pre-order beginning on October 14th, Blue Underground’s release of Shock Waves will be displayed in 1080p high definition with DTS-hd master audio. The Special Edition DVD is a re-release of the version Blue Underground unveiled in 2003, with several new extras now included. Both releases have the following special features:

Audio Commentary with Co-Writer/Director Ken Wiederhorn, Make-Up Designer Alan Ormsby and Filmmaker Fred Olen Ray Nazi Zombies On...

Aquatic Nazi zombies abound in high definition. I've waited my whole life to type that sentence. That's right, Dreadheads; Shock Waves is making its way to the land of 1080p, and we'll likely never be the same.

From the Press Release

Beneath The Living… Beyond The Dead… From The Depths of Hell's Ocean!

In the dark days of World War II, the Nazi High Command ordered its scientists to create a top secret race of indestructible zombie storm troopers – un-living, unfeeling, unstoppable monstrosities that killed with their bare hands. They were known as The Death Corps. No member of this horrific SS unit was ever captured by the Allied Forces – and, somewhere off the coast of Florida, they have survived…

Peter Cushing (Star Wars), Brooke Adams (Invasion Of The Body Snatchers) and John Carradine (The Boogey Man) star in this suspenseful and genuinely creepy shocker co-written and directed by Ken Wiederhorn...

It has been such a long time since I sat down to watch Shock Waves that I can barely recall a single image from the film. Thankfully, Blue Underground has my back, as they will be releasing the film to Blu-ray & DVD on November 25th this year. If you aren’t familiar with Blue Underground, or what they do, they are one of the premiere boutique labels that have been a prolific distributor in cult and genre home video releases. I have a pretty large collection of Blue Underground Blu-rays. I think I’m only missing two of their releases, actually. I have the Hell of the Living Dead/Rats double feature sitting on my desk, and I will be tearing through that one tonight. Look for a review of that this week, and be sure and pre-order a copy of Shock Waves for yourself. Check out the press release below for detailed release info.

Rare original trade advertisement for both Flipper movies. On Thursday September 11, Turner Classic Movies (North America) will present a tribute to the great animal screen heroes beginning with Disney's Old Yeller starring Fess Parker and Tommy Kirk and continuing with several Lassie films shown back to back. There will also be a double feature showing of both 1960s Flipper films, Flipper starring Chuck Connors and Luke Halpin and Flipper's New Adventure with with Halpin and his TV dad Brian Kelly.