Source: Collider | Posted By: Dan Geer

The first U.S. and U.K. trailers for director Paul McGuigan’s Victor Frankenstein have hit the web, and they both definitely depict a dark, yet fun take on the Frankenstein story for a modern audience. As Collider pointed out, this appears to be very reminiscent of the tone and sense of adventure that Guy Ritchie’s take on Sherlock Holmes first brought to the screen back in 2009, as I’m sure you’ll agree once you watch the trailers. However, the film does appear to be darker of course, fitting the subject matter perfectly. As a die-hard fan of the classic Universal Monsters, this actually looks really good!

Hit the jump to check out both trailers!

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Written by: Brandon Engel

By definition, clones are exact genetic replicas of an original organism. It can happen one of two ways: naturally, as in with identical twins or engineered in a controlled laboratory setting. Hollywood and pop culture tend to prefer the latter, whether human or animal, and generally relies on science fiction rather than scientific fact.

The concept of genetic manipulation in film and television go way back such as in Sleeper (1973) and The Boys From Brazil (1978) but recent examples have also made their way into our current culture. Jurassic World explores the consequences of bringing back an extinct species while Orphan Black delves into the complex world of human cloning. As fascinating as it is, the process of genetic engineering is often portrayed negatively, as with “evil twin” tropes seen everywhere on television.

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Source: Film Maker IQ | Posted By: Dan Geer

Have you ever wondered why a film you watch sometimes has black bars on the top and bottom of the image, and sometimes it doesn’t (or why older films and TV shows have them on the left and right)? Or maybe you know why, but don’t really understand terms like “anamorphic widescreen,” or “16×9.” With so much information out there on the subject, even cinephiles don’t always understand everything there is to know about “aspect ratio” (the ratio of the width of an image to the height).

In response, Film Maker IQ has released a wonderful educational video that breaks down this very concept in The Changing Shape of Cinema: The History of Aspect Ratio. While it’s not even 20 minutes long, and doesn’t tell you everything (I wish it covered IMAX in more detail), it does lay out in easy-to-understand terms and visuals just what exactly aspect ratio is and how we got to our current aspect ratio standards, for both film and television. It is definitely for anyone who has ever been confused about the concept, or simply wants to know more about it. Check it out below!

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Source: Universal Pictures | Posted By: Dan Geer

Universal Pictures has finally released the full details regarding the release of eight classic Universal Monster movies in one Blu-ray set in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the company. Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection marks the first time each of these films have been “digitally restored from high resolution film elements in perfect high-definition picture and perfect high-definition sound,” according to the press release. The Blu-ray set will be released on October 2nd.

The films included in the set are Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), The Wolf Man (1941), The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), and Phantom of the Opera (1943). Bonus features include previously released documentaries and commentaries from The Legacy DVD Collections, plus all-new features never before released. Not only that, but the original 3D version of Creature from the Black Lagoon will be included, marking the first time this particular version has been made available to the public. Read on for the full press release for all the fang-tastic details!

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Posted By: Dan Geer

One of the most iconic and well-renowned films in cinematic history is director F.W. Murnau’s classic 1922 German Expressionist film, Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens. While most people today probably haven’t even seen the film, images of actor Max Schreck’s portrayal of the vampire are still engrained in pop culture today. Many people I have talked to still think he is the scariest looking vampire ever put on film.

Since my wife is from Germany, she and I often make it over there to visit family and friends. So, as a fan of Nosferatu, I decided that our next trip should include a visit to Lübeck, Germany, where the film’s fictional town of “Wisborg” was brought to life. More specifically, I wanted to visit the “Salzspeicher” (salt storehouses), which are the buildings that were used to portray the vampire’s home in the film. They are still in existence today, although they are no longer used to store salt. Rather, they have since been converted to a clothing boutique, primarily consisting of women’s apparel (believe it or not). Hit the jump for more on this historic filming location for the film, as well as some of the photos I took while we were there.

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Source: THR | Posted By: Dan Geer

The Last Voyage of the Demeter is a film that has been in the works for quite some time with Millennium Films. The Demeter is the name of the ship that stowed Count Dracula and his cargo during a trip from Transylvania to London in the classic novel by Bram Stoker. In the story, strange occurrences ensue on board the ship that involve the slaying of every crew member on board, save for one raving lunatic who craves the blood of insects, and of course the infamous Count himself. Read on to find out more about director Neil Marshall’s involvement with the project, and the production hiccups that have occurred along the way.

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Source: Deadline | Posted By: Dan Geer

Last March, it was reported that Stuart Beattie (co-writer of 30 Days of Night and the Pirates of the Caribbean films) was chosen to direct the upcoming film adaptation of Underworld writer Kevin Grevioux‘s graphic novel, I, Frankenstein – which is set to start filming in January. At the time, one big question remained: Just who exactly would play the Frankenstein Monster?

Today, Deadline is reporting that Aaron Eckhart, who famously played Harvey Dent/Two-Face in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, has indeed landed the title role! Read on for more info!

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Source: ComingSoon.net | Posted By: Dan Geer

Everyone in Hollywood seems to be jumping on the Frankenstein bandwagon these days. All sorts of projects are currently being developed that are based on or inspired by Mary Shelley’s classic monster tale. Not only has Guillermo del Toro expressed for quite some time that he wants to re-imaginine the story for film, but there are also two prequels in the works (Timur Bekmambetov‘s The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein and Matt Reeves‘ This Dark Endeavor), an adaptation of Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein: Prodigal Son, and Lakeshore’s film noir take on the Monster called I, Frankenstein. Of course, let’s not forget Tim Burton‘s stop-motion feature Frankenweenie that is currently in production, as well as an as-of-yet untitled adaptation of Frankenstein from 20th Century Fox. People just can’t get enough of the monster, and honestly, I don’t blame them, since I am a HUGE fan myself and will probably watch anything with “Frankenstein” in the title.

But is it all too much? NBC doesn’t seem to think so, as they are also currently planning an adaptation of Frankenstein for TV. Russel Friend and Garret Lerner (House, Smallville) have been hired to write a pilot script for a series that takes the story to a present-day setting. No further details have been revealed. It’ll sure be interesting to see it alongside all the rest of the Frankenstein stories being developed. But, while it is definitely a great time for Frankenstein’s Monster to reemerge, I just hope people don’t get worn out on it. Stay tuned as more details develop!

Source: Christopher Lee Web | Posted By: Dan Geer

Christopher Lee, Guinness book world record holder for acting in more films than any other actor in history (266 to be exact), turns 89 today. Modern film fans know him for playing Saruman in The Lord of the Rings trilogy as well as Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequels, but his film career goes back all the way to the late 1940s. Most will say that his most famous role of all time is that of Count Dracula, whom he first played in Horror of Dracula in 1958 as well as the many Dracula films that followed from Hammer Film Productions.

In honor of his birthday, the Official Christopher Lee website posted a three-part Forbes interview with Lee discussing his web site, new media and how it has affected the entertainment industry. Just listening to the man talk is incredibly intriguing, and even comforting. Hit the jump to watch the entire Forbes interview as well as a vintage movie trailer for Horror of Dracula!

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Source: Plan 9 Movie | Screen Rant | The Mary Sue | Posted By: Dan Geer

This is the first time I have heard about this, but apparently there have been plans to remake Ed Wood‘s infamous Plan 9 from Outer Space (known for being “the worst film ever made”) for quite some time now.

Darkstone Entertainment, primarily known for making extremely low-budget independent horror films, announced some time in 2008 that director John Johnson would be remaking the film, simply titled Plan 9. It was originally slated for release on 9/9/2009 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the original film, but that never happened. Now, it looks like production has in fact finally started on the film, according to The Mary Sue. You can even watch a teaser trailer for the “serious-minded” remake after the jump!

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