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As reported by the New York Times, on March 8, 2023, prolific B-movie filmmaker Bert I. Gordon passed away at his home in Los Angeles. He was 100 years old. 

Bert I. Gordon is a name many may not be familiar with unless they were prone to visiting drive-in theaters in the 1950s, staying up late and watching monster movies on Uhf TV in the 1980s, or were paying attention to "Mystery Science Theater 3000" in the 1990s. Gordon was the director behind such low-budget classics as 1955's "King Dinosaur," 1957's "The Amazing Colossal Man," its sequel from the next year, "War of the Colossal Beast," the 1965 outsized J.D. flick, "Village of the Giants," the 1976 H.G. Wells adaptation, "Food of the Gods," and the 1976 giant ant film "Empire of the Ants." One might note that all the films listed above involve giants of some stripe. One might also want to take note of Bert I.

Bert I. Gordon, the sci-fi director who aimed to terrify drive-in denizens of the 1950s and ’60s with low-budget films featuring colossal creatures, shrinking humans and radioactive monsters, has died. He was 100.

Gordon died Wednesday in Los Angeles of complications from a fall in his Beverly Hills home, his daughter Patricia Gordon told The Hollywood Reporter.

Highlights (lowlights?) on his B-movie résumé include The Cyclops (1957), The Amazing Colossal Man (1957), Beginning of the End (1957), Earth vs. the Spider (1958), Attack of the Puppet People (1958), Tormented (1960), The Boy and the Pirates (1960) and Picture Mommy Dead (1966).

In the ’70s, Gordon directed Vince Edwards and Chuck Connors in The Police Connection (1973) and wrote and directed How to Succeed With Sex (1970), Necromancy (1972), The Food of the Gods (1976) and, starring Joan Collins in the muck, Empire of the Ants (1977).

Perhaps as a way to keep costs down, Gordon’s films often were family affairs: His late wife,...

In addition to revealing a Collector's Edition Blu-ray release for John Carpenter's Escape From L.A., Scream Factory is also kicking off a new year of horror home media releases with Blu-ray announcements for The Spider (aka Earth vs. the Spider) and the Hammer films The Curse of the Werewolf, Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter, and The Lost Continent.

All four new Blu-rays are due out in April, and while full special features will be revealed at a later time, we have Scream Factory's official announcements and cover art below:

The Curse of the Werewolf Collector's Edition Blu-ray: "Our love for Hammer Films continues into the new year with an upgraded version of The Curse Of The Werewolf! Details we have at this time are as follows:

• National street date for North America (Region A) is 4/21/2020.

• This is being presented as a Collector’s Edition release and will come guaranteed with...

Let’s take a trip back to Bronson Caverns, but with new and better photos! Once you visit this hiding-in-plain-sight Hollywood location, you’ll start seeing it every time you tune into an old movie.

CineSavant Article

The most frequent ‘unknown’ location in film history?

Part of what was cool about moving to Los Angeles in 1970 was realizing that, since the majority of Hollywood movies were filmed locally, just about every interesting sight in the city has been used as a movie location. You don’t have to be ga-ga about movie stars to see the ‘historicity’ in famous locations, or feel saddened when a special place is torn down. The art deco Pan-Pacific Auditorium was one such example. It featured prominently in the King Bros. movie Suspense (1946) and can be glimpsed briefly in the opening of Steve De Jarnatt’s Miracle Mile (1989), which was filmed just before it burned...

The Wraiths of War hits shelves from Titan Books tomorrow, October 11th, so we encourage our readers to continue reading today's Highlights for an exclusive excerpt from Mark Morris' new novel. Also: a new trailer for The Shelter, IFC's "Wake Up and Smell the Evil" Marathon, 360 Degrees of Hell Vr experience, and photos / release details for the Slimer and Sloth pins.

Exclusive Excerpt from The Wraiths of War: Synopsis: "Alex Locke is desperately trying to hold onto the disparate threads of the complex web of time he has created. He travels to the First World War, living through the horrors of trench warfare in order to befriend a young soldier crucial to his story; then to the 1930s to uncover the secrets of a mysterious stage magician. He moves back and forth in time, always with the strange and terrifying Dark Man on his heels, gradually getting closer to...

New World Pictures

There’s something magical about 1980’s horror movies that simply can’t be found in any film made before or since. On the outskirts of all the classics like A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Shining there were your cheesy movies full of giant monsters, gross out special effects, and some of the most incomprehensible plots you’ll ever find on the big screen.

During this time, the genre began to see a shift back to the schlocky movies of the late 1950s like Attack of the Crab Monsters and Earth vs. The Spider. While the majority of horror films in the ’70s were rather serious, featuring realistic killers and reflecting anxiety over the Vietnam war, the ’80s were anything but. Filmmakers got back into making fun, intentionally goofy movies with Ash Williams killing zombies while spouting one liners, calling on you to turn off your...

While July 28th may be a light day in terms of the amount of horror and sci-fi titles making their home entertainment debuts, we do have an interesting assortment of films and TV to look forward to. Kino Lorber has dug up two classics—The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein and Cherry 2000 (starring Melanie Griffith)—which are being released on Blu-ray this Tuesday, and Scream Factory has another underrated genre gem getting the HD treatment as well—the horror western Ghost Town.

For all you MST3K fans out there, Shout! Factory is putting out another collection of campy films that you’ll be able to add to your collections this week and Bayview Entertainment also has a double feature of cult movies from Germany—Strangler of the Tower / Monster of London—arriving on DVD.

The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein (Kino Lorber, Blu-ray & DVD)

After the death of Victor Frankenstein...

In addition to getting their Blu-ray horror and sci-fi fix from Shout! Factory's booth #4118 at this year's Comic-Con, fans can also experience exciting future Scream Factory title announcements at the "Inside Look" panel taking place Friday, July 10th at 7:30pm in Room 24Abc:

Press Release: "Now a mainstay at San Diego Comic-Con International, Shout! Factory returns to the convention in 2015 with a dynamic line-up sure to delight pop culture enthusiasts of all ages. Shout! Factory is a leading multi-platform entertainment company, and its Comic-Con offerings, which span its popular Shout! Factory, Shout! Kids and Scream Factory™ brands, are sure to please devoted fans of popular home entertainment properties, collectors and pop culture enthusiasts alike. This year, Shout! Factory unveils an exciting panel event, new home entertainment products, Comic-Con exclusives and engaging booth activities. Fans and attendees are invited to join in on the excitement at the Shout! Factory...

It's hard to believe that Canada's Rue Morgue Magazine has been around as long as it has! Their next issue marks their lucky thirteenth year of kicking ass and taking names and we have a look at what's in store for readers both old and new!

Congrats, guys! Here's to another 13!

From the Press Release

Rue Morgue Special Edition 13th Anniversary Halloween Issue

On Stands October 1st!

We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes

Fifty years ago Marion met Norman at the Bates Motel and the modern horror film was born. Rue Morgue’s panel of experts celebrates the lunatic legacy of Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece. Featuring Wes Craven, assistant director Hilton Green, and authors Stephen Rebello and David Thomson.

Plus: A look at Bernard Herrmann’s score, a new documentary on the film, sequel spotlights, and more!

by Aaron Von Lupton, Mark R. Hasan, James Burrell, Stuart F. Andrews,...