DIABOLIQUE NO. 27 PREVIEW

Coming a little late to the Monster Magazine Ball is the "Summer/Fall" issue of DIABOLIQUE. I don't mind, though, as this excellent 'zine is always worth the wait. The cover promises an issue brimming with the brimstone aroma of Giallo, the Gothic and the Occult. And, unless another one comes along this year that blows my electrodes, the Suspiria cover will be getting my vote for a Rondo.

There is also good news -- Tim Lucas will begin writing a new column in this issue. Pre-order your copy HERE.

From the DIABOLIQUE website:

There is nothing perhaps more enchanting than a good old folk, or fairy tale. Add in a little witchcraft and you have the recipe for something truly magickal. Join us as we dedicate the entirety of issue 27 of Diabolique Magazine to these three subjects. Helping us to celebrate Suspiria in its 40th year is author Alexandra Heller-Nichols, who unlocks some of the secrets behind the scenes and delves into the history and influence surrounding Dario Argento’s cult classic.

Meanwhile, the theme of witchcraft continues, as Britsploitation master Norman J Warren talks to us about his own occult inspired works, and we examine his films as contributions to the British Folk Horror cannon. Not content with leaving it there we also take a long look at the “occult giallo” in a feature focusing on witchcraft-infused cult horror films from Italy. We tackle the connection of witchcraft and feminism from the seventies to the nineties, looking at George A Romero’s Season of the Witch, The Witches of Eastwick and The Craft. And…still not content to leave it there… we also unravel the history of the witch trials seen in Ken Russell’s The Devils.

And there’s more…we have not one, but two articles dedicated to Eastern European folk and fairy tales and their cinematic counterparts; Czechoslovakia is represented by Little Otik, Russia by Viy. We also re-examine The Company of Wolves, in the context of folk horror, before continuing on the theme of mixing Gothic with folk horror in an interview with the partnership behind Hex Media (Lord of Tears, The Unkindness of Ravens) Sarah Daly (writer) and Lawrie Brewster (director). We also manage to pack in a deep look at Candyman, and examine the themes of race and urban legend within.

The icing on the cake however is the news that writer, editor, film historian and Video Watchdog legend, Tim Lucas, joins us in this issue for the very first installment of his new regular column.

CONTENTS
The Secret of the Irises: Suspiria’s Hidden Magic
Alexandra Heller-Nicholas reveals everything you think you know about Dario Argento’s masterpiece is just the beginning.

The Evil Heritage of Norman J Warren
Kat Ellinger talks to Britsploitation legend Norman J Warren about his witchcraft infused Satan’s Slave (1976) and Terror (1978) and looks at how these two films fit into the British Folk Horror cannon.

Russian Folk Tales as Subversive Cinema: Viy-ing against Communist Censorship
Viy (1967) is the first Soviet Russian horror film, based on the Russian/Ukrainian folk tale of the same name by Nikolai Gogol (1835). Rebecca Booth examines the way in which the film, via its folklore roots, functions to subvert cultural, social and political ideology within Soviet Russia.

The Burning Court: 17th Century Heresy and Hysteria in Ken Russell’s The Devils
Samm Deighan digs into the historical occult themes behind Ken Russell’s transgressive masterpiece, The Devils (1971), and discusses satanic conspiracies, sexualized exorcisms, religious hysteria, and more.

These Are No Ordinary Birds: An Interview With Lawrie Brewster & Sarah Daly
Kieran Fisher chats with the founders of rising genre company, Hex Media, and unravels the myriad of mythological, cosmic and psychological horrors dwelling within their universe.

Racial Dynamics in Candyman
Jason Barr looks at how the subtle analogies of race, gender, and suffering come together to form an unexpected urban legend for the white middle class.

Whatever You Want, Baby: Otesánek (Little Otik) and the Horror of Infertility
Erin Miskell takes an in-depth look at the relationship between Pinocchio, Little Red Riding Hood and the Czech folktale Otesanek in both its original text and cinematic adaptation, and how the tales combine to address the infertility taboo.

Shot in the Dark
In the first installment of his brand new column, film historian Tim Lucas gives a detailed analysis of the fascinating opening shot of Terence Fisher’s The Curse of the Werewolf (1961).

Drink This and You Will be Free
In a look at the world through giallo-colored glasses, Joseph Dwyer sees evidence of witchcraft and the supernatural. The notorious genre synonymous with 1970’s Italy crosses over into fantastic territory with the high priests in All the Colors of the Dark (1972)  and Short Night of Glass Dolls (1971), topped perhaps only by the beautiful hags in Baba Yaga (1973) and Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972).

‘Wolves May Lurk In Every Guise’: Folk Horror In The Company Of Wolves
James Gracey investigates the folkloric elements of Neil Jordan’s dark Gothic fantasy, and looks at its tacit place within the haunting glades of Folk Horror.

We Are the Weirdos: The Transformative Power of the Cinematic Witch
Chris Hallock traces the generational development of feminism through cinematic witches depicted in the films Season of the Witch (1972), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), and The Craft (1996).

Pigeons from Hell—Three Ways
Sheila M. Merritt shows how serving up a horror delicacy in different media formats makes for a sumptuous banquet. Indulge and enjoy.

'DIABOLIQUE' RETURNS

After a one-year hiatus, DIABOLIQUE is returning in print with issue #26. The issue is devoted to the Japanese horror film and promises its usual, intelligently written insights accompanied by appealing visual design.

Below are the contents. More information can be found by clicking HERE.

Curse, Death and Spirits: Supernatural Folklore in the Japanese Ghost Film
Kat Ellinger tracks the evolution of the Japanese Ghost Story in cinema, from classic to contemporary and unravels its folklore origins.

As a continuation on the themes in Curse, Death and Spirits the feature concludes with a talk with legendary J-horror pioneer: Hideo Nakata.

Hours Dreadful and Things Strange: Macbeth, Japanese Theater, and Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood
Samm Deighan examines the influence of traditional Japanese theater on Akira Kurosawa’s eerie, horror-tinged 1957 Shakespeare adaptation, Throne of Blood.

The Masculinized Zone: The relationship between masculinity and psychological, physical, and political traumatism within the horrors of Korean war cinema
Rebecca Booth explores the representation of masculinity within Korean war cinema from the 1950s onwards, analyzing the visceral and emotional immediacy of the horrors onscreen in relation to the tensions between gender and national identity, societal roles, and the political landscape.

Forbidden Colours: When British Art Rock Met Japanese Art House
East meets West in the form of the cinematic/sonic dream team of Nagisa Oshima, David Bowie, Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Sylvian in Heather Drain’s article-expedition.

Korean Gothic: Refractions of national and sexual identity in The Handmaiden
Joseph Dwyer investigates aspects of sadomasochism and Gothic feminism in Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden, and the film’s place in an international tradition of erotic art cinema.

Nature, Nuclear and National Guilt
Kieran Fisher examines the complex mythology behind Japan’s biggest monster: Godzilla.

DIABOLIQUE BACK IN PRINT!

Great news for monster 'zine fans -- DIABOLIQUE is back in print with issue 26 (March-June 2017). Fears of the disappearing D have been assuaged with this announcement, straight from their website:

"Diabolique Magazine is back in print with an entire issue dedicated to celebrating Japanese and Korean cult cinema at its most sublime, otherworldly, erotic and visceral. In our cover story we explore the darker elements of Japanese folklore; tracking the evolution of the ghost story from genre defining classics Onibaba, Kwaidan, and Kuroneko, right through to the J-horror boom of the nineties in Ringu and Ju-On: The Grudge; before joining J-horror pioneer Hideo Nakata to discuss his career in genre film. This is followed with features on the blood soaked tradition of Japanese theater in relation to the work of Akira Kurosawa and Jacobean revenge, the shocking horrors of Korean war portrayed in genre film and a tribute to the work of the late great David Bowie. Add to that some sizzling sensuality and lesbian love, as we unwrap Chan-wook Park’s provocative The Handmaiden, and last, but certainly not least, a homage to the mythical beast Godzilla, and we promise you this is one of our boldest and most potent issues yet!"

Here's a look at the contents:

Curse, Death and Spirits: Supernatural Folklore in the Japanese Ghost Film
Kat Ellinger tracks the evolution of the Japanese Ghost Story in cinema, from classic to contemporary and unravels its folklore origins.
As a continuation on the themes in Curse, Death and Spirits the feature concludes with a talk with legendary J-horror pioneer: Hideo Nakata.

Hours Dreadful and Things Strange: Macbeth, Japanese Theater, and Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood
Samm Deighan examines the influence of traditional Japanese theater on Akira Kurosawa’s eerie, horror-tinged 1957 Shakespeare adaptation, Throne of Blood.

The Masculinized Zone: The relationship between masculinity and psychological, physical, and political traumatism within the horrors of Korean war cinema
Rebecca Booth explores the representation of masculinity within Korean war cinema from the 1950s onwards, analyzing the visceral and emotional immediacy of the horrors onscreen in relation to the tensions between gender and national identity, societal roles, and the political landscape.

Forbidden Colours: When British Art Rock Met Japanese Art House
East meets West in the form of the cinematic/sonic dream team of Nagisa Oshima, David Bowie, Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Sylvian in Heather Drain’s article-expedition.

Korean Gothic: Refractions of national and sexual identity in The Handmaiden
Joseph Dwyer investigates aspects of sadomasochism and Gothic feminism in Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden, and the film’s place in an international tradition of erotic art cinema.

Nature, Nuclear and National Guilt
Kieran Fisher examines the complex mythology behind Japan’s biggest monster: Godzilla.

IS THE PRINT MONSTER MAGAZINE DEAD?

It wasn't that long ago that just about every month I would bring home an armload of monster 'zines from my local brick 'n mortar B&N. Now I have a difficult time justifying even a couple anymore. Why?

The cover price is the major culprit here. In the last few years, the cost of these, and any other magazine for that matter, has jumped to wallet-emptying proportions. It's one thing deliberating over whether or not to shell out a hard-earned 10 bucks for, say, the latest RUE MORGUE, and altogether another to lay down $12.95 for the pint-sized VIDEO WATCHDOG.

My choices in the matter have considerably lessened of late, as a number of monster magazines have either suspended publishing or disappeared off the shelf entirely.

The biggest hit has been the announcement of the discontinued print publishing of the venerable FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND (see below). Now, this has happened before, but it is unlikely any time soon that current own Phil Kim will sell off the rights because there still remains the faint revenue-inducing patina of name recognition. So, #288 looks like the last of the hold-in-your-hand issues we may ever experience since the bygone days of the 1960s Monster Craze. Instead, we will be getting the occasional "monster art" issue which sounds like it will be akin to the DARK ARTS specials that FM published a few years ago. While it may be an attractive looking 'zine, it will have absolutely nothing to do with what we once knew of Forry's Fabulous Folly.



FAMOUS MONSTERS' "Gallery" art 'zine.

Next on the hit list is VIDEO WATCHDOG. Critically hailed as the premier 'zine of horror film reviews and which boasted one of the most impressive line-up of writers of any genre magazine, VW as a print magazine is history (see below).

Then, earlier this year there was the firing of long-time editor of FANGORIA, Michael Gingold (see below). Since then, Fango has floundered, managing only an issue or two during the "restructuring period". I have a feeling that's going to be it and we'll see the magazine that has been with us since 1978 go digital as well. In any case, the magazine will look totally different, as art director Bill Mohalley was fired along with Gingold.

VIDEO WATCHDOG'S first issue.

SCARY MONSTERS lasted for 100 issues before Dennis Druktenis sold his 'zine to an online monster merchandiser. Two issues have been published -- on time, I might add -- at a reasonable price for the usually massive page count. Time will tell on the longevity of this 'zine.

Other 'zines have seen print in fits and starts for months, the most noticeable being DIABOLIQUE. Another quality publication, it's fate is in the meantime being kept behind castle walls. Also irregularly published is Ray Ferry's FREAKY MONSTERS, the closest thing we have to a vintage-looking FAMOUS MONSTERS we have left (maybe with the inclusion of MONSTER BASH).

All put together, the state of the print monster magazine is not looking good. Among the vanquished, a few titles seem still vibrant (HORRORHOUND, still only $6.99, and the U.K's CLASSIC MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES which is looking more like the heir apparent to MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT with every issue). But who knows? Like all the fallen, we could get an announcement out of the blue, heralding yet another death knell.

I'm am remaining guardedly optimistic about the monster print 'zine, but with costs going up and distributors folding up their tents at a record pace, the future is in the hands of us, the readers.

So, support your favorite monster mag -- or maybe two -- and let the people who put their life's blood into them know that us monster fans still care.

FAMOUS MONSTERS becoming a monster art magazine
David Weiner, executive editor of Famous Monsters, on Facebook:

FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND Editor, David Weiner.

All good things must come to an end... I am parting ways with Famous Monsters once I deliver my last issue, FM #288, which comes out in October. I am now in search of new job opportunities and adventures.

After seven memorable magazine entries under my stewardship as its executive editor, Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine -- in its current format -- is ending.

Moving forward, the publisher has a new concept: FM will continue on quarterly with a new format as an art-driven publication, showcasing the art of 8-12 artists and their work, with each artist getting an interview page.

Everything about FM has been a labor of love for me, from creating and managing the bi-monthly magazine to being the face of FM at Comic-Con, our film festival, events requiring hosting and panel moderation, for our podcast, our successful Kickstarter, and so much more.

But with a major format change turning the magazine into something entirely different than the Hollywood genre pop-culture/interview-driven content I've enjoyed creating -- inspired by the long-standing format that FM founder Forrest J Ackerman pioneered, which I've loved ever since I was a kid -- it was time to renegotiate or exit amicably.

Renegotiation turned out not to be an option, so I am exiting amicably.

As a company and a brand, Famous Monsters continues to thrive in other fields, from comics, art publication, live events, to merchandising and other forms of mass media.

It's fitting that my last issue of FM will be our tribute to Forry Ackerman on the occasion of his centennial birthday.

I am interested to see how fans of the magazine respond to the new art-driven format of FM. It’s been an absolute privilege to carry the torch for this stretch of FM. I have been proud to call myself editor of one of the greatest magazines ever published.

So, down to brass tacks: If anyone knows of a job opportunity that you think might be a good fit for me in entertainment (creative content-driven, ideally with an entertainment writing/journalism/interview foundation) that is L.A.-based, I am open to suggestions/recommendations.

-- David Weiner

Forry Ackerman at his desk.

Thoughts on the passing of "Famous Monsters" magazine
Former FM editor Ed Blair on Facebook:
 Today, while out having a quiet lunch, my phone practically came to life as I was inundated with messages asking me about the shuttering of FM as a magazine. I hadn't heard the news, but I was directed to current Editor David Weiner's FB post detailing that FM as we know it would cease to exist and thus become a quarterly art book akin to the "Dark Arts" books we made 4-5 years ago. My first emotion was sadness, as I'm sure it was for so many others. It felt like a chapter in my life had come to end, one I didn't even know was still open. There's a palpable sense of loss, having steered the ship for 6 years and over 30 issues. After watching what has unfolded at Fangoria, as a monster fan, it's tough to see this.

Of all the things I was involved with during my tenure, taking the reins of that beloved magazine was my favorite and most fulfilling. I, along with so many others, poured everything into that magazine, as I know David did. I'm not sure if it's poetic or just plain cruel that the magazine is ending on what would have been founding editor Forrest J Ackerman's 100th birthday. Maybe it's a mixture of the two.

I have seen that the FM official statement talks about bad economies and new media and that FM will still be relevant, just in its different forms. I had always argued that the magazine was the beating heart of FM, that everything had to flow from its pages outward. That without the magazine everything else was just noise. I still believe that, but it doesn't mean I'm right. For the sake of history and for the love of monsters and all that it stands for, I hope I'm wrong, and that FM is able to right the ship and find its course in this brave new world.

I left FM over a year ago so I really don't have any details to add. The discussions about turning the magazine into an art book date back several years, a move I strenuously argued against, but I wasn't surprised at that path that had been chosen. I was just surprised by the timing of it all. David had really taken the magazine to an incredible place, landing exclusives and features that were as good as big boys like EMPIRE and EW. The covers, like Harryhausen's Medusa or ALIENS were as good as they've ever been. Unfortunately, it was not to be.

There have been a lot of questions and prognostications since David posted the news. I even read speculation that I would return to the magazine. While I appreciate the sentiment, my FM days are well and truly behind me. It was a wild six-year ride, but the feelings of finality on that subject are mutual. I will always have love for FM Magazine. What it stood for, what Forry Ackerman brought to the world and the goodwill he created. The generations of creators that it influenced and who have, in turn, shone their lights so brightly on the world. Whatever happens to FM moving forward, whether the new format is a success or not, it will always live on. Not only in the hearts and minds of those who embrace it, but in the creative works of all the Monster Kids who took their love of the strange and turned it into beautiful art for all of us to enjoy. It's bigger than any one of us and has cemented its legacy. And in so being, it becomes our responsibility to champion the classics, to tell fangtastic new stories, to find the new generations while keeping the classics forever in front of new audiences. As long as we love. . .

  . . . Famous Monsters shall not die.



VIDEO WATCHDOG'S Tim and Donna Lucas.

Video Watchdog ends print run publication
From the VIDEO WATCHDOG website:

More bad news for genre magazines, and film scholarship, today as Tim and Donna Lucas announce that VIDEO WATCHDOG will end puiblication as a print magazine after 27 years.

"After trying many creative ways to generate sales to compensate for newsstand losses and lack of advertising support, rising shipping and postage costs, and a depressed economy, it is simply no longer possible to keep Video Watchdog moving forward,'' the couple says at the Video Watchblog website.

With regret, we must announce that after 27 wonderful years we are no longer able to publish new print editions of Video Watchdog.

Some of you have been with us since the early days of "desktop publishing," when bookstores carried a wide variety of offbeat publications catering to all kinds of niche readerships. It was an exciting time, one in which Video Watchdog thrived.

From the time of our first pre-publication ads in 1989, The Perfectionist's Guide to Fantastic Video has never stopped evolving growing from 60 to 64 to 80 pages in its black-and-white configuration, blossoming into full-color with issue 100, and introducing interactive digital versions of each issue in 2013. We can confidently state that our most recent issues were among the best we ever published.

Over the last quarter century, we have always depended on newsstand sales, subscriptions, advertising, and because all of that was still not fully sustaining side projects in order to continue publishing. We were able to make ends meet so long as all of these facets were working together but, in recent years, it has become a losing battle. There are many reasons for this: the diminishing number of retail outlets, the sad state of print distribution, the easy availability of free information and critical writing via the Internet, and the now-widespread availability on Blu-ray and DVD of so many of the once-obscure titles Video Watchdog was among the first to tell you about.

After trying many creative ways to generate sales to compensate for newsstand losses and lack of advertising support, rising shipping and postage costs, and a depressed economy, it is simply no longer possible to keep Video Watchdog moving forward.

Looking back, we take great pride in the fact that, in our time, Video Watchdog was able to present the writing and original art of the genre's most talented writers, artists, and thinkers; that it attracted the attention and respect of so many of the great contemporary masters of cinema (from Scorsese to Del Toro); and that its coverage inspired a number of people to enter the film and video businesses to promote film restoration and preservation from the inside.

We are deeply grateful for the contributors and audience that enabled us to sustain our publication for so long. The coming months will be difficult as we try to figure out what's next for us, and what awaits Video Watchdog and its readership.

Please bear with us during this uncertain time, and we will keep you informed of further developments as they become more definitive.

Tim and Donna Lucas
Publishers

FANGORIA'S ex-Editor, Michael Gingold.

Fangoria Editor-in-Chief Michael Gingold fired after 28 Years – Guillermo del Toro and others offer support
From IndiWire.com
The horror publication has dismissed former Editor-in-Chief Michael Gingold and longtime art director Bill Mohalley, and hasn't published a print edition in months.

Graham Winfrey
Jun 1, 2016 12:17 pm

Chances are strong that if you were a horror movie fan over the past several decades, you probably read Fangoria. And that means you experienced the influence of Editor-in-Chief Michael Gingold, who has held a prominent role at the influential genre-focused monthly since 1988.

But that changed last week, when Gingold was promptly fired, in a decision that has yielded words of support from major figures throughout the horror community.

“Fangoria will never be the same w/o him,” tweeted director Guillermo del Toro. In an email to IndieWire, del Toro added that Gingold is “the torch carrier for the original spirit of a generation of horror, fantasy, and science fiction aficionados” and that “it is truly puzzling that someone thinks that such a bond has no value to the readers of Fangoria.”

Former Fangoria web editor Sam Zimmerman tweeted “Michael Gingold no longer at Fangoria is a little incomprehensible. He deserves much celebration and I owe him even more.” HitFix editor Drew McWeeny, a former editor at Ain’t It Cool News, tweeted “What a shock,” adding that “Few people have ever embodied a publication as completely as Michael Gingold did with Fangoria.”

Gingold was named associate editor of New York-based Fangoria in 1990 and managing editor in 1992, a title he held for 23 years until his promotion to Editor-in-Chief last year. Fangoria’s longtime art director Bill Mohalley has also been let go.

Ken Hanley, who joined Fangoria as an editorial assistant in the fall of 2012 and most recently held the title of Managing Editor, has been named as the magazine’s new Editor-in-Chief. “Mike Gingold is one of the classiest and hard-working men in horror journalism,” Hanley told IndieWire. “It’s going to be extremely difficult to fill his shoes.”

In a post on Fangoria’s website, Hanley wrote that the magazine “will be restructuring to bring in new blood, including at least two exceptional women in the horror journalism field.” Fangoria posted an announcement about new members of its staff on Wednesday.

In an interview with IndieWire, Gingold declined to discuss the details of his termination, but said that his discussions with Fangoria president and owner Tom DeFeo “were mostly financial in nature.” DeFeo did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. News of Gingold’s termination has triggered an outpouring of support online from Fangoria readers, horror fans and filmmakers.

Others who have known and worked with Gingold have expressed sentiments bordering on outrage. “Absolutely disgusted to learn that the president of Fangoria has let Michael Gingold go,” Mitch Davis, co-director of the Fantasia International Film Festival, wrote in a Facebook post. In an email to IndieWire, Davis noted that in recent years, several beloved Fangoria contributors have walked from the publication. That includes longtime editor Chris Alexander, who stepped down last fall to become managing editor of the horror site Shock Till You Drop.

“With the magazine’s president discarding seasoned writers with so many years of history, knowledge and trust among fans, it’s hard to imagine a bright future [for Fangoria],” Davis wrote. “Michael has dedicated his entire adult life to shaping how genre cinema is experienced and discussed, and he’s shined a light on so many brilliant emerging talents that I can’t imagine Fangoria being anything near the same without him.”

On Twitter, del Toro recalled submitting his early short film “Geometra” to Fangoria’s affiliated publication Starlog and receiving a handwritten note of encouragement from Gingold. “This went a long way in encouraging me to keep going,” del Toro told IndieWire. “Michael’s note meant the world to me.” Were it not for Gingold’s reply, del Toro added, “Geometra” would have amounted to a “message in a bottle.” To this day, the director added, “the man remains a champion of genre filmmaking.”

In recent years, Fangoria has struggled to sustain itself due to dwindling revenue from print advertisers, said Tony Timpone, who served as the magazines Editor-in-Chief from 1987 to 2010 and still serves as Editor Emeritus. “The magazine used to be packed full of ads, and we’ve lost a lot of our advertising with the collapse of the DVD business,” Timpone told IndieWire, adding that Fangoria has been trying to transition to a bi-monthly publishing schedule but hasn’t put out a print edition since its distributor went out of business in 2015.

“It’s no secret that Fangoria has had financial troubles, but they can be attributed to many of the troubles associated with running a print medium in general,” Hanley told IndieWire. “With distributors and fulfillment houses folding and advertisers turning to web, it’s amazing there are any magazines remaining at all.”

Since taking over as Editor-in-Chief, Gingold put out several digital-only issues of the publication. He is currently pursuing a number of different writing projects, including a collaboration on a horror feature film script with filmmaker Dante Tomaselli. Four of Gingold’s previous horror screenplays have been produced, most notably 2006’s “Shadow: Dead Riot” and 2003’s “Leeches!”

“While I’m not sure where I’m going in terms of full-time employment right now, there’s a lot of stuff that I’m working on that I’m very excited about,” he said, adding that the outpouring of support he’s received since leaving Fangoria has been phenomenal.

“I’ve always tried to champion independent filmmakers and illuminate all the different corners of the genre,” he said. “It’s great to know that my work has touched so many people.”

Additional reporting by Eric Kohn. This article has been updated with quotes from Fangoria’s Ken Hanley.

13 DAYS LEFT TO GO TO CROWDFUND HAMMER DOCUMENTARY

The last Kickstarter project I helped to fund was Jason Barnett's documentary of Charlie Gemora. While that seems to be bogged down in legal issues, I direct your attention to a current Kickstarter project being produced by the film division of DIABOLIQUE magazine.

HAMMER HORROR: THE WARNER BROS. YEARS is written and directed by film historian, Marcus Hearn, who is recognized as one of the leading experts on the legendary House of Hammer.

As of today, there are 13 more days to support this project with your donation. Promotion premiums include your name on the film's credits, a copy of the Blu-ray disc and poster art by Mark Spears.

DIABOLIQUE RETURNS WITH ISSUE NO. 23

After a hiatus (due to producing a film), DIABOLIQUE is back on the stands. This issue's theme is Medical Horror. Here is what's in store:

FRIGHT FROM THE FRINGE

Chris Hallock’s new column introduces our readers to a broad spectrum of independent horror residing on the outskirts of the multiplex.

PALE GAZE

Christopher Bruno reflects on Georges Franju’s provocative dissection of the doctoral profession, Eyes Without A Face.

TWIN DOCTORS

Colin McCracken sits down with directorial duo, “Twisted Twins” Jen & Sylvia Soska, for an exclusive chat on Medical Horror and their growing filmography, including their latest WWE-produced slasher, See No Evil 2.

THE DEVIL MADE US WATCH IT: THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES

Alexandra West’s column pays homage to the black-comedic Vincent Price vehicle, The Abominable Dr. Phibes.

METHOD TO THE MADNESS

Is Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator medically accurate? Jake Whritner explains the scientific plausibility of cinema’s best-known Lovecraftian adaptation.

ANATOMY OF A TRILOGY

Kyle Turner examines Tom Six’s soon-to-be-completed, not-soon-to-be-forgotten Human Centipede trilogy.

BLU MAGICK

Kat Ellinger’s new column reviews the hottest vintage Euro-Horror Blu-Ray releases.

LOVECRAFT’S WEST WORLD

Max Weinstein digs through the words of H.P. Lovecraft’s letters, bibliography, biographers, and critics to tell the story of the man behind the weird world of “Herbert West—Reanimator.”

YOU DON’T KNOW JACK

On the film’s 50th anniversary, The Academy has restored Jack Hill’s Spider Baby, cementing its cultural importance. Hill tells Diabolique he isn’t sure what all the fuss is about.

PLASTIC PRISON (PART I)

Does our anatomy shape our destiny? Joe Yanick goes beneath The Skin I Live In to answer this question and more in the first half of his two-part piece.

For more information, go HERE.

DIABOLIQUE NO. 18

In his foreward to Kim Newman's fastidious book, Apocalypse Movies: End of the World Cinema (St. Martin's Griffen, 2000), David J. Schow opines that, in the case of horror and science-fiction genre, "giant, radioactive, skyscraper-eating monsters were not the problem. Goo-faced nuclear mutants were not the problem. The real evil, it seemed to me, even at age ten, was Politics -- the cause of all those Final Conflicts." Schow goes on to explain that: "In movie after movie, politics and politicians were the real monsters the ones culpable for atomically flushing the whole planet, thereby enabling all those giant bugs and post-apocalyptic wastelands. In many a film blaming the Bomb, politicians were the ones whose squabbles caused them to start stabbing big red buttons and upsetting property values worldwide ..." It is perceptive, then, for DIABOLIQUE -- in light of the post-tsunami Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown coinciding with a sort of New Wave of post-apocalyptic films and TV shows led by the ever-popular THE WALKING DEAD -- to produce a themed-issue that re-examines this film making niche.

Leading off the issue is a look at the late, great Richard Matheson's enduring tale of survival, I Am Legend. The novel, which has so far been filmed three times, is his earliest in his cycle of books, stories and screenplays that are infused with the common thread of Cold War paranoia of the kind that held the denizens of this planet on the edge of fear for decades in the 1950's and 1960's. I remember well the "drop drills" that were called by my Elementary School teachers, as well as the regular "fire drill" evacuations. This came at the same time when every morning before school started, the flag was raised and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited outside by the entire school. No one was there to dispute or question what the phrase "under God" meant or why it was included, but every time you watched one of Schow's "goo-faced mutants" or "giant bugs" on Chiller or Science Fiction Theater on the weekends, one had to wonder, what was God thinking? Matheson admitted that there was a reason his family teased him with the moniker, "Mr. Paranoia": "My theme in those (early) years was of a man -- isolated and alone, and assaulted on all sides by everything you could imagine." Matheson's work stood tall in those days, alongside his peers Rod Serling, Charles Beaumont and George Clayton Johnson, and his "paranoid" vision still resonates today.

To say that Harlan Ellison is a cutting edge author is a bit of an understatement. While we don't hear too much from him today, in his prime there wasn't a more outspoken, angry writer on the edge than him. I had the fortune of meeting Mr. Ellison briefly years ago in a Santa Monica, CA bookstore called A Change of Hobbit (and, according to the business card, run by Sherry Gottlieb, The Hobbitch!) just at the time I was immersed in his fantastic double-volume diatribe against television, appropriately titled The Glass Teat, which I would follow up shortly with his double-volume paperbacks of sci-fi death rays, Again Dangerous Visions. Being a person who happens to respect a celebrity's privacy, I only spoke with him long enough to let him know I was a fan, coincidentally reading one of his books, and respected his work. He was appreciative and I learned in that moment that I would never make a living as one of the paparazzi. Re-reading some of his commentary that was originally published in the late-60's by the Los Angeles Free Press, I can see where Stephen King may have gotten some of the voice for his narrative swagger.

One of Ellison's stories made it to the silver screen in 1975, a novella entitled A Boy and His Dog. Labeled as a "post-apocalyptic" tale, it is noted for an early role by Don Johnson, who would later go on to woo the ladies (Melanie Griffith, in particular) as Detective Sonny Crockett in Michael Mann's hit TV series, MIAMI VICE. A few years later, another violent tale set in a dehumanized wasteland called MAD MAX would borrow heavily from visuals and art direction in A BOY AND HIS DOG. I saw it when it first ran in theaters and was left a little dazed ... in a 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY kind of way. In other words, I wasn't expecting the violence or the misogyny (I didn't have a word like this in my vocabulary back then, but it more than fits now). A few years before, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE stunned viewers with it's sex and violence, but they were expecting it because of the pre-release media hype. A BOY AND HIS DOG came in under the radar, however. Remember, this was back in the day when all you had was TV and print media. Today, you can create a buzz around any movie just by designing a trailer to "go viral" on YouTube. Directed by L. Q. Jones, A BOY AND HIS DOG nevertheless has been an influence on The Cinema of Dystopia.

The rest of issue #18 of DIABOLIQUE is filled out with articles on writers David Moody and Rob Guillory (creator of the award-winning comic book, CHEW), fantasy-artist-turned-Zombie King Arthur Suydam, and special effects artist, Remy Couture. Thus far in its short existence, DIABOLIQUE has eschewed the DVD and film review columns that many of its competitors choose to include, and instead relies on the feature content for its criticism.

While politics may play a major role in apocalyptic cinema, I would have to say that natural disasters have also caused plenty of on-screen havoc that have led to the dystopian wastelands depicted in the movies. DIABOLIQUE, through its thoughtful and incisive writers have dissected the topic and opened it up to reveal a multifaceted genre that is perhaps even more relevant today than in the Cold War era.

DIABOLIQUE NO. 17

A horror-comedy theme pervades this issue. Beginning with a review of Ben Wheatley's SIGHTSEERS and continuing with an overview of the genre made increasingly popular with films like SHAUN OF THE DEAD, where blood and gore -- sometimes extreme -- intersect with humor.

This synergy, while always an element of our unconscious, had its most notable cinematic beginning with Universal's last monster rally movie, ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948), in which the two famous clowns played it (very well) for laughs and the monsters remained in character and played it straight. Whether planned or accidental, the intended outcome became the litmus test for the next generation of horror-comedy.

Next up is a chat with the writer and special effects man of the UK surprise film festival hit, GRABBERS. The creatures, described by their creators as a cross between a spider and an eel look closer to a sphincter-mouthed starfish to this writer. In any case, they latch on to their victims in a fashion reminiscent of the ALIEN face-hugger. In this film, the trick to keeping them away is to stay drunk, as they are repelled by alcohol. This makes reasoning out a way to get rid of the infestation a bit problematic, which is the the raison d'etre at the heart of every monster movie, and the horror-comedy is no exception. A logical extension of this revelation would be to lure them to a distillery...

The article entitled, Side Splitting: The Evolution of Horror-Comedy is the centerpiece of the issue. Beginning with the argument that Tod Browning's FREAKS or ARSENIC AND OLD LACE could be considered early predecessors of the genre, like comparing France's CINEMA 57 to the first issue of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND, I will go with ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN as the first "hybrid", as it was really a complete monster/comedy film as opposed to horror films that included elements of comedy. Reading through this engrossing article reminded me once again of the rich tradition of horror-comedy films that have not only been successful at the box office, but have propelled the genre into -- for good or for bad -- new, even extreme territories.

Love him or hate him, filmmaker Jess Franco, who died earlier this year, has left an indelible mark on the landscape of the surreal and erotic horror film. Fueled by cigarettes and alcohol, Franco lensed over 200 movies, many of which have been overlooked in the horror cinema oeuvre. A propensity for odd (sometimes seemingly non-existent) plots, psychedelic dream-imagery and gratuitous sex has virtually placed him in his own category. Redemption Films founder Nigel Wingrove offers the reader insight on what made this quirky Spanish auteur click 

There are a number of articles to round out the issue, mainly about filmmakers and their various projects. What strikes me is how many people have turned their artistic talents to horror films. One might think that horror is the easiest genre to unleash your emotions and aggressions, and that drama is harder by virtue of its relative restraint. To pull off a good horror film, however, takes more than just throwing your emotions into it. Horror is hard and there is a pile of trash out there to prove it. The few gems are keeping the bar raised.

In just a few short issues, DIABOLIQUE has established itself as a serious market entry into the world of monster magazines. Smartly produced, artistically designed with great color and all-around eye-appealing, it easily holds its own among its competitors. I have every issue and have watched it evolve into a 'zine that's a cut above.

With its ofttimes gothic feel, sometimes nostalgic feel, and always intelligent writing and content compared to some of its competitors, DIABOLIQUE is fast establishing itself as would could easily be called today's CASTLE OF FRANKENSTEIN.

MONSTERS UNLEASHED! NEW AND RECENTLY RELEASED

DIABOLIQUE NO. 17 NOW SHIPPING!

ONE OF THE TOP HORROR 'ZINES on the stands today is the always erudite, always entertaining DIABOLIQUE. Each issue besides being filled filled to the coffin lid with good articles to read, is always reliable for presenting everything in a very appealing design with eye-popping, full-color graphics.

Here's the 4-1-1 from their hot-off-the-wire newsletter: 

"In the same way the intersection between horror and rock n’roll explored in our 15th issue is much like a Reese’s peanut butter cup, so are horror and comedy – two great tastes that go great together. In that spirit, Diabolique # 17 tickles your funny bone and cracks it too, exploring all that’s irreverent, wonky and weird from the horror community’s most alternately playful and sadistic minds. We’ll walk you through horror-comedy hybrids new and old, featuring exclusive interviews with Ben Wheatley, Adam Wingard, Joe Dante and more, while delving into the inner workings of extreme and erotic cinema with a tribute to the late, great exploitation helmer Jess Franco. Diabolique 17: you’re all gonna die laughing!" 

I am particularly looking forward to the horror comedy feature. I've always been a fan of the mix between fun and fear. When you get done reading this, click on over to my YOU'LL DIE LAUGHING blog show I can show you what I mean.

MONSTERS UNLEASHED! NEW AND RECENTLY RELEASED

 

MONSTERS UNLEASHED: NEW AND RECENTLY RELEASED